ServicesÂ
Pioneer Valley Psychiatry provides individualized outpatient psychiatric care for children, adolescents, and young adults.
Care begins with understanding the patient, the concerns that brought them to treatment, and the developmental, family, medical, educational, and social circumstances in which those concerns occur.Â
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Treatment may include psychiatric evaluation, medication management, psychotherapy, and collaboration with other professionals involved in the patient's care.Â
Psychiatric Evaluations
A psychiatric evaluation is more than identifying symptoms and assigning a diagnosis. Dr. Diggins works to understand how difficulties developed, how they affect the patient's life, and what biological, psychological, developmental, family, educational, and social factors may be contributing.Â
For children and adolescents, parents are an important part of the evaluation. Information from schools, therapists, pediatricians, and other professionals may also be helpful when appropriate and with permission. Evidence-based questionnaires or rating scales may be used when they can contribute to the evaluation.Â
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The goal is to develop a thoughtful understanding of the patient's strengths and challenges and determine what forms of treatment are most likely to be helpful.Â
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Pioneer Valley Psychiatry provides clinical psychiatric evaluation and diagnosis but does not provide psychological or neuropsychological testing, psychoeducational testing, comprehensive autism diagnostic testing, or school-based educational evaluations.Â
When parents request it and provide appropriate authorization, Dr. Diggins can communicate relevant psychiatric diagnoses and clinical information to a child's school or other professionals involved in the child's care.Â
Treatment & Medication ManagementÂ
Treatment is individualized based on each patient's needs. When medication is appropriate, Dr. Diggins works with patients and families to understand treatment options, expected benefits, possible side effects, and alternatives so that decisions can be made collaboratively.Â
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Psychiatric visits are not limited to medication management. Psychotherapy may also be incorporated into visits when helpful, including attention to coping strategies, relationships, family dynamics, behavior, development, and challenges patients are facing in their daily lives.Â
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Many patients already have an established therapist when they come to Pioneer Valley Psychiatry. Dr. Diggins welcomes referrals from therapists and is committed to collaborative care. When a patient has an ongoing therapeutic relationship, his goal is to complement that work by providing psychiatric evaluation and medication management, not to replace the patient's therapist.Â
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With appropriate permission, Dr. Diggins can collaborate with therapists, primary care providers, schools, and other professionals involved in a patient's care.
Conditions Treated
Mood Disorders
Depression
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
Bipolar Disorder
Anxiety & Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Social Anxiety Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Attention & Behavioral Disorders
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Trauma & Stress-Related Conditions
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Trauma-related emotional and behavioral symptoms
Adjustment difficulties related to life changes and transitions
Other psychiatric conditions may also be appropriate for treatment depending on individual needs and outpatient clinical appropriateness.
ADHD Evaluation & Treatment
ADHD is a clinical diagnosis that requires more than identifying a list of symptoms. Evaluation includes consideration of developmental history, symptoms across different settings, their impact on functioning, and other conditions or circumstances that may contribute to difficulties with attention, activity level, impulsivity, or executive functioning.
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For children through age 12, parent and teacher Vanderbilt rating scales may be used as part of the evaluation. For adolescents and young adults, age-appropriate validated assessment tools may also be used when helpful. Additional evaluation or consultation may be recommended when clinically indicated.
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Treatment is individualized and may include behavioral and family strategies, collaboration with schools or other professionals, psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of approaches.
Scope of Practice & Higher Levels of Care
Pioneer Valley Psychiatry provides outpatient psychiatric care. Patients with bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, or other serious psychiatric conditions may be treated when outpatient care is clinically appropriate.
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When a patient's needs require a higher level of care, Dr. Diggins may recommend treatment in an intensive outpatient program, partial hospitalization program, inpatient setting, or other appropriate level of care. Patients may return to Pioneer Valley Psychiatry for ongoing outpatient treatment after stabilization when clinically appropriate.
Emergency & Crisis Care
Pioneer Valley Psychiatry is an outpatient psychiatric practice and does not provide walk-in or 24-hour emergency or crisis services. For a life-threatening emergency or an immediate concern about safety, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. For mental health crisis support, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
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Phone, text, email, and patient messages should not be used for urgent or emergency situations.
Eating Disorders & Substance Use Disorders
Pioneer Valley Psychiatry is not a specialized eating disorder or substance use treatment practice. Eating disorder symptoms, substance use, or related concerns may be considered as part of a patient's overall psychiatric evaluation and treatment when clinically appropriate.
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When specialized or multidisciplinary treatment is needed, referral to an appropriate specialty program or clinician may be recommended.
Forensic & Independent Evaluations
Pioneer Valley Psychiatry does not provide forensic psychiatric evaluations, independent medical examinations, custody evaluations, or evaluations conducted for legal proceedings. The practice also does not provide evaluations or certification letters for emotional support animals.
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For established patients, Dr. Diggins may provide clinically appropriate documentation related to their psychiatric care, including information for schools or reasonable accommodations when appropriate and with necessary authorization.
