Children’s Services

MRTs are designed to address a wide variety of interventions, including:

• Determine the need for further examination at a Designated Receiving Facility or licensed substance use
• provider based on a clinical assessment;
• Assess the individual for risk of suicidal and homicidal thoughts or behaviors;
• Assess the individual for mood disturbances such as depression, anxiety, delusional thoughts, or hallucinations that may contribute to and exacerbate the crisis; and 
• Identify family or peer conflicts and other disruptive behaviors that are or may contribute to escalating the crisis and consider services and supports available to reduce them 

Eligibility:

MRTs provide immediate, onsite behavioral health crisis services at minimum to individuals who:

• Have an emotional disturbance; or
• Are experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis; or
• Are experiencing escalating emotional or behavioral health reactions and symptoms that impact their ability to function typically within their family, living situation, or community environment; or,
• Are served by the child welfare system and are experiencing or at high risk of placement instability 

*Mobile Response supports the “no wrong door” model and provide warm-handoff to services within the community based on the individual need. Mobile Response is a free service for all of Palm Beach County.

Children in acute emotional distress may be seen 24 hours a day at the South County Mental Health Center in Delray Beach, Florida.  

Following an emergency screening and/or treatment of acute conditions, child clients may be referred to South County Mental Health Center outpatient services or to other appropriate service providers in the community.

Referral to inpatient treatment providers is also available based on the severity of the situation.

The children’s case management team at SCMHC aims to reduce the risk of out-of- home placement by incorporating available community services for our child clients in the least restrictive, most appropriate environment.

Where appropriate, case managers work with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) staff, school personnel, and other community resources to ensure a comprehensive approach to the services provided for the child and family.

Psychiatric services for children include evaluation and access to the SCMHC medication clinic<LINK> and pharmacy<LINK>.

This SCMHC program serves children aged 3 through 18 years who have been victims of abuse or neglect, or are otherwise in need of in-home support services.

The Navigate Program is a comprehensive program designed to provide early and effective treatment to individuals who have experienced a first episode of psychosis. The treatment focused on helping individuals navigate the road to recovery from a first episode of psychosis by supporting efforts to function well at home, on the job, at school and in the social world. We serve Palm Beach County residents between the ages of 16 and 34. We are a Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) team that provides: 

• Specialty Psychiatry with evaluation and medication management.
• Individual Resiliency Training for the client focusing on awareness and long-term recovery skills.
• Family Education for the client’s support system that focuses on understanding the nature of psychosis, how to support your loved one’s recovery, and support.
• Peer Support from someone who has experienced his or her own recovery and is there to provide one-on-one support and encouragement to the client or support system.
• Supported Employment and Education services to assist the client with enrolling and completing educational goals along with direct support in securing and maintaining meaningful employment.
• Case management services to assist the client and family with needs that are supportive of the client’s recovery.