Services & Treatments

The department’s collaboration with the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center serves as part of the center’s Comprehensive Cancer Center accreditation from the National Cancer Institute, which requires centers to have psycho-social assessment or resources available for all patients. Our faculty provide outpatient care as well as inpatient consultation to cancer patients and coordinate with Siteman’s established counseling services.

Clinicians provide mental health care services to the St. Louis Community and beyond. Clinicians include psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and therapists. General psychiatry clinical services as well as specialty clinics focused on specific mental conditions and treatment therapies are available.  As part of a major academic medical centers, our clinicians have access to state-of-the-art facilities and the latest application of approved clinical research. 

As a benefit of your employment, clinicians, including psychiatrists and therapists, provide high quality, evidence-based and innovative mental health care services to WashU employees and families. Employees can access mental health services and utilize their WUDirect benefits for covered family members. More information about this service is available here.

The geriatric unit in the inpatient pavilion at Barnes-Jewish Hospital allows clinicians to treat elderly patients with co-occurring mental disorders – such as depression and dementia – and physical illnesses. These clinicians are more adept at referral to long-term care facilities for elderly and can deal with other geriatric needs in one location. Our geriatric psychiatrists also collaborate with the Joanne Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

The department’s collaboration with the Department of Orthopedics provides counseling services to meet your personal health and wellness goals at the WashU Living Well Center.

Our psychiatrists help to provide screening, evaluation, and treatment for women and their partners who are experiencing pregnancy-related or postpartum stress, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders through Perinatal Behavioral Health Services (PBHS).

The SPOT increases access to health care for youth who have been disproportionately impacted by HIV, poverty, trauma or discrimination.

Learn more about The SPOT’s services for at-risk teens »

Our Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) Program specializes in research-backed therapies for patients referred to us by their physicians or psychiatrists. We conduct extensive research, including clinical trials, to discover new ways to treat TRD and assess how well existing therapies work.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is considered the treatment of choice for patients suffering from severe major depressive disorder who have either not responded to medications or have failed to tolerate medications as a result of various side effects.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation and vagus nerve stimulation: We are leaders in treating patients with TRD using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). Both modalities are in transitional stages and typically not covered by insurance; however, we are able to refer patients to research studies for these treatments.

The Early Recognition Center is a specialized treatment clinic that serves adolescents and young adults aged 13-25 years who are experiencing early signs of psychosis or who have recently been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder.

Our clinicians specialize in the assessment and care of children and adolescents with serious and complex mental health conditions, who generally require comprehensive treatment planning in an academic medical center setting. We also rely on and work closely with our partners in the community to help carry out many aspects of the treatment plans developed for our patients.

• Anxiety Disorders Clinic
• Autism Clinical Care Center
• Collaborative Care Clinic
• Community Outpatient Service
• Early Emotional Development Program
• Early Preventive Intervention Clinic
• Employee & Family Mental Health and Wellness Service
• General Child Psychiatry Clinic
• Perinatal Behavioral Health Service
• SYNCHRONY
• Supporting Positive Outcomes for Teens, (SPOT)
• Transgender Clinic
• Trauma Response Program
• WashU Early Recognition Center

For more information

Learn more about our pediatric care, including how often to see your provider, and whether you may want to consider medication.