Children’s OCD/Anxiety Spectrum & Tic Disorders (COAST) Program

Lurie Children’s and the COAST program are committed to the treatment of patients from all demographic backgrounds, including populations that have been historically underrepresented in the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. Our program accepts most private and public insurance plans.     

Through our program, we offer:

• Specialized diagnostic evaluations
• Gold-standard treatments grounded in research, including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD and Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT)
• Planned group therapy offerings
• Multidisciplinary team consultation 

Our team uses evidence-based approaches to address the conditions listed below in a collaborative manner with patients and their family. We also consider other factors that may be impacting these symptoms including academics, family factors, extracurricular activities, etc.

• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Separation anxiety disorder
• Social anxiety disorder
• Panic disorder
• Specific phobias
• Chronic tic disorder
• Tourette’s disorder
• Body dysmorphic disorder
• Trichotillomania
• Excoriation disorder

If you are interested in services through the COAST program, the first step is to complete a phone screening with one of our Psychiatry intake coordinators (see referral information below). They will help to determine whether the program may be a good fit for your child and connect you to the next steps, including scheduling a diagnostic evaluation.

Scheduling Instructions for Families 

Call 1.800.KIDS DOC (1.800.543.7362). Ask for Psychiatry, then mention the COAST Program. From there, you will complete a screening about your child’s current symptoms to understand whether COAST may be a good fit. You will then be scheduled for a diagnostic evaluation. Diagnostic evaluations are conducted in person most of the time, though telemedicine may be an option for your family if you are located within Illinois. Please be advised that due to high demand for COAST services, there may be a wait of several months to get your initial appointment scheduled.

Scheduling Instructions for Lurie Children's Providers

Please complete a Referral for Service through Epic and route to Drs. Elizabeth Moroney and Jasleen Singh.

This program provides multi-session evaluations with a focus on:

• Specific diagnostic areas as outlined above
• Questionnaires to help with clinical decision-making and research efforts (should you consent)
• Feedback to you including diagnoses and treatment plan
• Resources/programs outside of COAST should another area of functioning be the primary focus

Your family may also be eligible for ongoing treatment services in the COAST program, including:

• Short-term individual or parent-focused therapy
• Medication initiation and management
• Group therapy

However, please note that given the structure of this program, services must be targeting specific diagnostic issues (e.g., Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Tic/Tourette’s Disorders, Anxiety Disorders) and are time-limited. Ongoing services are not guaranteed after the diagnostic evaluation.

If your child is accepted for ongoing therapy, expect services to be short-term (around 3-6 months). We will do our best to connect you to other appropriate care if your child is not eligible for ongoing services with us. We also suggest trying to add your child to other therapy waitlists early on, should you have a concern in a different area of your child’s functioning or should you desire longer-term services than this short-term model.

We also strive to help connect you with additional resources and support, including the following: 

Websites

• The International OCD Foundation
• The Tourette Association of America
  • Watch this video from Dr. John Walkup, Chair of Lurie Children's Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Health and COAST Consulting Psychiatrist, where he discusses how families can approach a new diagnosis of a tic disorder.
• TicHelper.com
• UNSTUCK: An OCD Kids Movie

Books for Parents, Kids & Families

• What to do When Your Brain Gets Stuck: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming OCD by Dawn Huebner, Ph.D.
• Freeing your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder by Tamar E Chansky, Ph.D.
• Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD by Eli R. Lebowitz, Ph.D. (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions workbook)
• Nix your Tics! Eliminate Unwanted Tic Symptoms: A How-To Guide for Young People by B. Duncan McKinlay, Ph.D., C.Psych

Check back here for upcoming research opportunities/efforts.