From the Chief

Welcome to the online home of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Virginia Commonwealth University! We are delighted to extend a warm welcome to our visitors, whether you're a colleague in the field, a trainee, a patient, or a concerned family member seeking information and support.

At the heart of our division lies a profound commitment to the well-being of our patients and their families. We are driven by a tripartite mission: to provide exceptional patient care, to advance education in the field of child psychiatry, and to conduct groundbreaking research that pushes the boundaries of knowledge and current understanding of mental health problems in children.

Our top priority is to provide the highest quality of care to children and adolescents drawing upon the most current evidence-based interventions to ensure optimal outcomes. We recognize the unique challenges faced by young minds and the importance of early intervention in fostering healthy development. With a multidisciplinary approach, we tailor our treatments to meet the individual needs of each patient, ensuring comprehensive support for their mental health journey. We are diligently addressing the mental health crisis in the Richmond community and beyond by promoting access to mental health care through development of innovative care models.

Education is paramount in shaping the future of child and adolescent psychiatry. Through our training programs, we aim to equip the next generation of child psychiatrists, psychologists, advanced practice providers and researchers with the knowledge, skills, and empathy needed to excel in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. We foster an environment of learning and collaboration, where expertise is shared and nurtured.

Research is the driving force behind our efforts to understand and address pediatric mental health challenges. Our team is dedicated to conducting innovative research that pushes the boundaries of knowledge. From exploring the underlying mechanisms of disorders to evaluating the effectiveness of interventions, our research endeavors are driven by a passion for discovery and a commitment to improving outcomes for our patients.

In our division we foster excellence through the values of respect, inclusion, integrity, and collaborative ideas, cultivating an environment that nurtures growth, meaning, and purpose in our endeavors to serve the community.

As Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, I am honored to lead a team of dedicated professionals who embody these principles in their daily work. Together, we are united in our mission to provide excellent patient care, advance education, and conduct transformative research that impacts the lives of children and adolescents locally and worldwide.

--Ekaterina Stepanova, M.D., Ph.D.

Exterior of Virginia Treatment Center for Children Data from the National Institute of Mental Health reveals that one in five children will experience a serious mental illness. As the field of pediatric mental health care evolves, we in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry are proud to be at the forefront of evidence-based patient care, innovative research and robust training for the next generation of health care professionals.

We strive to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health by normalizing psychological and psychiatric care, educating the community and making services available and accessible to all patients and their families, regardless of socioeconomic backgrounds.

Faculty in our growing division provide compassionate, highly specialized care for the children of Central Virginia and their families in outpatient areas such as the following:

Anxiety disorders
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders
Behavior disorders
Mood disorders
Psychotic disorders
Developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders
Psychological needs related to chronic illness
Trauma-related disorders

Our multidisciplinary approach involves close collaboration with experts in adjacent fields such as psychology, pediatrics, social work, nursing and pharmacy, among others. For patients with acute needs, we provide the following inpatient services:

Crisis stabilization through behavioral and pharmacologic interventions
Educational services
Individual, group and family psychotherapy
Occupational therapy
Recreational therapy

Explore our state-of-the-art facilities at the Virginia Treatment Center for Children.

Outpatient Consult Clinic

The Outpatient Consult Clinic (OCC) is an Advanced Practice Provider (APP) led psychiatric consultation service for families who need to be seen in a timely manner. The OCC's goal is to provide a psychiatric assessment, resources, and recommendations and help families who are concerned about a change in their child's presentation or worsening symptoms.

Call the OCC today: 804-828-3137

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VTCC Group Offerings

LGBTQIA+ Parent Support Group

LGBTQIA+ Peer Support Group

LGBTQIA+ Therapeutic Peer Support Group

Groups are held every 1st and 3rd Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Registration is required
Call 804-828-3137 to register.

Education

Psychiatry Residency

During PGY-1, residents spend six months rotating off-service on internal medicine, emergency medicine and neurology, and those with an interest in child and adolescent psychiatry may spend one to three blocks in pediatrics instead of internal medicine.

Learn more about our residency ⟶

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship

Accredited by the ACGME, our two-year pediatric psychiatry fellowship provides extensive training in the delivery of psychiatric care for children and their families. he program includes experiences in acute inpatient hospitalization, outpatient clinical treatment, including specialty clinics, consultation-liaison experiences and community collaborative programs.

Explore our fellowship ⟶

Pre-Doctoral Clinical Child Psychology Internship

Accredited by the American Psychological Association on Accreditation, this one-year program at the VTCC provides training in a continuum of care for treating children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances. With four-month rotations and a strong emphasis on didactics and culturally competent care, the internship prepares trainees for careers in clinical psychology.

Learn more about the internship ⟶

Social Work Internship

The Virginia Treatment Center for Children serves as a field placement site for the VCU School of Social Work, accepting graduate social work students during their concentration year. Students are part of the interdisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and therapists who work to stabilize children in psychiatric crisis.

Learn more about VCU School of Social Work field placements →

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Ekaterina Stepanova, M.D.

Associate Professor
Division Chief

Ekaterina Stepanova, M.D.

Associate Professor
Division Chief

Department of Psychiatry

Associate Professor
VAPR Lab Principal Investigator

Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

From the Chief

From the Chief

Outpatient Consult Clinic

VTCC Group Offerings

Education

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Child and Adolescent Psychology

Advanced Practice Professionals

Behavioral Health Counselors