Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Psychiatric Intake Response Center

Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC)

The Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC), located within Cincinnati Children’s, is the access center for all Cincinnati Children’s psychiatric services.

PIRC is dedicated to providing high-quality evaluations and access to mental health services across the entire continuum of care. The service provides the community with reliable, clinical triage and assessment in the Emergency Department by licensed independent behavioral health clinicians with more than 150 years of combined experience.

Services provided by the PIRC include:

  • Psychiatric evaluation to determine the appropriate treatment for patients in acute crisis at both Cincinnati Children's Burnet Campus and Liberty Campus Emergency Department
  • Referral to the PIRC Bridge Crisis Clinic
  • Expert triage, evaluation and recommendation to help you determine the next steps in treatment for your child
  • Inquiries about inpatient care, outpatient care and community services

Anyone with mental health questions is encouraged to contact the PIRC at 513-636-4124 or psychiatryresponse@cchmc.org.

Mental Health Emergency

If your child is experiencing a mental health emergency, please start by calling our Psychiatric Intake Response Center at 513-636-4124. If you are calling after hours or can't wait for a call back, dial 988 to talk to an expert at the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.