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Child Psychiatry
Picture of Reviewed by: Matthew Tatum

Reviewed by: Matthew Tatum

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Table of Contents

Key Takeaways
  • Ascend Behavioral Health provides evidence-based anxiety treatment for teens in Fresno and the Central Valley, offering structured programs tailored to adolescents’ emotional and developmental needs.
  • What is teen anxiety treatment? It focuses on reducing excessive worry, physical symptoms, and avoidance behaviors through therapies, medication management, and personalized treatment planning.
  • Teens receive comprehensive care that addresses Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and related symptoms such as restlessness, irritability, sleep issues, and academic or social difficulties.
  • Ascend’s licensed clinicians deliver individualized care, including assessments, medication support, and follow-up psychiatry visits, helping teens build long-term emotional resilience.
  • Early intervention at Ascend helps prevent worsening anxiety, improving teens’ mental health, academic performance, and confidence while offering family-centered support.

Specialized Psychiatry for Children in Fresno, CA

Ascend Behavioral Health was founded with a singular, passionate mission: to alleviate the suffering of children and adolescents in the Central Valley. We recognized that Fresno, California, has long been critically underserved in the area of specialized mental health care, particularly for complex mental health conditions. As a locally owned and operated company with a dedicated physical location in Fresno, our mission is to provide high quality, affordable mental health services right here to local new patients. Every young person struggling deserves the compassionate psychiatric care necessary to live life to the fullest. Our existence is a direct response to the devastating effects of untreated mental health conditions we have witnessed in our own community.

Our approach begins with recognizing that adolescence is a crucial period of intense emotional, social, and biological change. When these normal challenges intersect with a severe mental health illness like a major mood disorder or early-onset schizophrenia, the impact on a teen’s ability to function, their relationships, and overall well-being can be catastrophic. By providing child psychiatry services in Fresno, we ensure timely and effective early intervention, personalized treatment plans, and a stable foundation for future wellness for our new patients. We are committed to addressing the substantial need for child and adolescent psychiatry services in this region.

What is a Child Psychiatrist and Why is One Essential?

A Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist holds a unique and vital role in a teen’s mental health care and is distinct from other therapists. These specialists are medical doctors who have completed medical school, followed by general residency training in psychiatry, and then specialized fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry. This extensive background allows them to possess a deep understanding of the intricate connections between a young person’s brain chemistry (neurology), physical wellness, and behavior. They are uniquely qualified and licensed to conduct comprehensive psychiatric evaluations that lead to accurate diagnoses for complex issues like bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and severe forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

The combination of medical knowledge with behavioral science is essential for effectively treating serious mental health conditions that have a significant biological component. The primary and crucial function of our Fresno-based psychiatrists is providing medication management as a fully integrated part of a holistic treatment plan. By combining appropriate pharmacological treatment with evidence-based therapies, they address both the biological and psychological components of a teen’s struggle simultaneously. This integrated approach ensures that the young person receives the most thorough and effective psychiatric care for their unique needs, addressing everything from severe sleep disorders to emotional dysregulation, all conveniently located in Fresno.

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Psychiatric Evaluations and Treatment Planning

For all new patients seeking assistance at our Fresno mental health clinic, the journey begins with a thorough initial assessment, which includes a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. This evaluation is a critical step, conducted by a qualified child and adolescent psychiatry professional, and is necessary to establish an accurate and effective treatment plan. The evaluation process is designed to be detailed and sensitive, carefully assessing for co-occurring psychiatric disorders, such as the frequent overlap between ADHD and anxiety, or traits of autism that may influence a primary mental health diagnosis. This detailed approach is central to providing truly effective, personalized psychiatric care right here in Fresno.

Once the assessment is complete, we craft an individualized treatment plan that precisely targets the teen’s unique needs. Our psychiatrists in Fresno collaborate closely with our clinical team to ensure the medical and therapeutic elements of care work in harmony. We offer a blend of proven therapeutic modalities to support the pharmacological interventions:

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Crucial for teaching emotion regulation and distress tolerance, vital for managing the intensity of mood disorders and self-harm risk.
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Focuses on challenging negative thought patterns contributing to anxiety, depression, and OCD.
  • Family Therapy: Acknowledges that the family is central to the teen’s recovery and works to improve the overall home environment and support system.
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Addressing Complex Conditions Requiring Specialized Psychiatry

Our psychiatrists in Fresno are highly experienced in diagnosing and managing complex and challenging mental health conditions in adolescents that often require meticulous medication management and structured therapy. Effective treatment for such conditions hinges upon receiving accurate psychiatric evaluations and an integrated treatment plan tailored to their unique needs. The conditions we frequently treat in our Fresno clinic include:

  • Schizophrenia: A severe, chronic mental illness requiring early and sustained medication and support, managed by our specialty-trained child and adolescent psychiatry team.
  • Bipolar Disorder: Characterized by extreme, persistent mood disorders requiring careful pharmacological stabilization before extensive psychotherapy can begin.
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Often requires a combination of high-intensity CBT (Exposure and Response Prevention) and psychiatric medication for symptom relief.
  • ADHD: Frequently co-occurs with anxiety and mood disorders, necessitating integrated treatment plans that address both the focus deficit and emotional dysregulation.
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Testimonials

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At Ascend Behavioral Health, we accept most major insurance plans and can quickly verify your benefits. Contact our admissions team today for a free, confidential review of your coverage options.

(559) 472-3371
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Medication Management and Integrated Care in Fresno

Effective medication management is a specialized service provided directly by our child and adolescent psychiatry team at our Fresno facility. Our specialists apply their advanced medical training to ensure a precise, informed approach to prescribing and monitoring psychiatric medication. This meticulous process ensures patient safety, minimizes unwanted side effects, and maximizes therapeutic benefit, which is especially vital for teens struggling with high-risk symptoms associated with schizophrenia or severe bipolar disorder. This medical process serves as the foundation for stabilizing symptoms, making subsequent psychotherapy more effective.

The psychiatric services we provide are fully integrated with a range of therapeutic options to support the young person’s total well-being. We offer several levels of mental health services directly from our Fresno location to meet the differing unique needs of adolescents, ensuring we can provide the right intensity of care at the right time. This includes residential treatment and both outpatient programs (Partial Hospitalization Program and Intensive Outpatient Program). Our team manages the complexity of the treatment plan, ensuring seamless coordination between the prescribing physician and the therapist. This high quality integrated model is why family members trust Ascend Behavioral Health for comprehensive psychiatric care in the Central Valley.

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Ascend Behavioral Health | ascendstar 1

Ascend's Dedication to the Fresno Community

Ascend Behavioral Health is deeply committed to serving the local Fresno community. We are uniquely positioned to offer specialized mental health care with a high degree of local experience. Our leadership includes Dr. Jason Christopherson, PsyD, MSCP, ABPP, who is notably the only Board Certified Child/Adolescent Clinical Psychologist in Central California. While Dr. Christopherson is a psychologist, his board certified status and decades of experience provide an invaluable foundation of neuropsychology that informs and elevates the quality of our entire clinical team, including our prescribing psychiatrists, ensuring a unified approach to patient care for all mental health conditions.

We are committed to filling the persistent gap in mental health services available to adolescents in Fresno. Untreated mental health conditions can lead to devastating long-term consequences, but with psychiatric care and early intervention, change is profoundly possible. Our in-person presence means we are here to support family members through the complex process of obtaining psychiatric evaluations, coordinating medication management, and implementing a comprehensive treatment plan. We handle the details of insurance and referrals to make accessing this high quality, child and adolescent psychiatry service straightforward for new patients.

(559) 472-3371
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Connect with Our Fresno Psychiatrist Team Today

Mental health struggles for adolescents will not resolve on their own, and specialized child and adolescent psychiatry is often the necessary key to stability and recovery. The earlier a teen receives psychiatric evaluations and medication management from a qualified provider in Fresno, California, the better their chances are of achieving lasting wellness. If your child is struggling with a serious mental health condition like bipolar disorder, severe OCD, or the early signs of schizophrenia, or if they need specialized help for ADHD, our team in Fresno is ready to help.

Ascend Behavioral Health is committed to guiding your family through the admissions process, verifying insurance, and ensuring your child gets the support they need. Our comprehensive range of intensive and outpatient mental health services ensures that no matter the struggle, we have the resources right here in Fresno to help. Contact us today at (661) 788-4325  to learn more.

Admissions Process

We know that asking for help takes courage. Getting in touch is the first step. We’re here for you, no matter what. Once submitted, our admissions team will be in touch within 24 hours.

Or call us directly to get started: 559-472-3371

Consent

Initial Assessment & Medication Evaluation

Making sure that you or your teen are assessed for optimal care.

Individualized Treatment Plan

We craft a treatment plan tailored to suite individual needs.

Medication Management

Our clinicians make sure there is access to needed medication.

Follow Up Psychiatry Visits

We make sure you or your teen are taken care of after stay.

Picture of Reviewed By: Matthew Tatum, PsyD

Reviewed By: Matthew Tatum, PsyD

Dr. Tatum received his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Rosemead School of Psychology. He has extensive experience developing and expanding behavioral health services, including residential, detoxification, and outpatient programs. As CEO of Sierra Meadows, his focus is on expanding access to care for the Central Valley.

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