When symptoms of a mental health challenge severely impact your child, finding the right treatment can feel overwhelming. The good news is that you don’t need to know what level of care your child needs or have every question answered before reaching out to Embrace U. You simply need to make the call.
Step One: Call Us
Embrace U’s intake process begins by simply contacting our intake department at (833) 733-4325 or completing our intake form. Our intake team is based in Tennessee, works virtually, and is available:
- Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
- Saturday-Sunday: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
We have extended hours for our intake team because we know that families aren’t always available to hop on a call from the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. We want to make sure we are available to help you and your family as you explore the best options for your child.
“Hypothetically speaking, if you take your child to the ER for mental health concerns on a Friday night and get out at 9 p.m., you can still call us at Embrace U to talk about next steps, answer questions, and gather information,” said Nicole Stephan, Embrace U’s clinical partnership director.
We don’t want you to wait until Monday morning to begin gathering information about what may come next. The first call isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about starting the conversation to get your child’s mental health back on track.
We Help You Navigate the Process
Our intake coordinators will ask you to share details about what has been happening with your child. They’ll need to understand what treatments you’ve tried and what symptoms your child is experiencing. They will answer any questions you have about our adolescent mental health clinics in Tennessee, explain our different treatment programs, discuss next possible steps, and help you navigate the intake process.
“Making the process as easy as possible for families is of utmost importance to our intake team,” said Stephan.
If you think Embrace U’s intensive outpatient program (IOP) or partial hospitalization program (PHP) is a good fit for your child, our virtual intake coordinator will schedule an in-person appointment at one of our Tennessee locations closest to you.
What Happens After You Schedule an Intake?
Upon scheduling your in-person intake appointment, an office patient coordinator (OPC) will reach out to confirm your appointment. Our OPCs are your point of contact leading up to your child’s intake. Their role is to help you understand what is needed before you arrive and answer questions along the way.
The day before your intake appointment, the OPC will reach out to reconfirm your appointment and answer any last-minute questions. Families aren’t expected to navigate the preparation process alone or simply show up hoping they have everything they need. Our goal is to help eliminate as many surprises as possible before you walk through our doors.
What Happens on the Day of Intake?
On intake day, you will be warmly welcomed into our office by your OPC and given a tour of the facility. During the tour, you’ll receive a program handbook, and our team will review expectations, policies, and what a typical treatment day looks like.
“This is a great opportunity to ask any questions you may have about the program and what to expect moving forward,” said Hannah Claiborne, nurse practitioner for the Brentwood and Mt. Juliet locations.
Once the tour is complete, the nurse practitioner will join in on the conversation and explain what the next 90 minutes will look like. Parents and adolescents will have the opportunity to meet with the nurse both together and separately. This allows the provider to hear from the family while also giving the adolescent space to share their own experiences and concerns. While the nurse meets with the parents, the teen or pre-teen will spend some time with the OPC to obtain vital signs like blood pressure and pulse. Then, the nurse will meet with the child separately, while the parents can spend some time with the OPC talking through the program.
Finally, the nurse will meet with both parents and child “to review treatment recommendations, discuss any safety concerns, and talk through the next most appropriate steps,” said Claiborne. Once everyone’s in agreement, the OPC will help coordinate admissions and answer any logistical questions to ensure a smooth transition into care.
What Happens After the Evaluation?
If after the evaluation process it is determined that your child is an appropriate fit for Embrace U, the OPC will help coordinate the next steps toward admission. We typically encourage scheduling admission for the following day, but we are flexible if you need some time to discuss as a family. The OPC will review the remaining financial responsibilities or arrangements and answer any remaining logistical questions you might have.
Then, Your Child Begins Their Embrace U Program
What began with one phone call has become a treatment plan designed around your child’s mental health needs. Seeking mental health treatment for your child can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re already worried, exhausted, or unsure of what kind of support they need. At Embrace U, making the process as easy as possible for families is of utmost importance. You don’t need to know what to do, and you don’t need to understand every step of treatment before you call. You simply need to start the conversation, and our intake team can help you understand what comes next. Call us today at 833-733-4325 to get started, or complete our intake form.
