The providers of outpatient clinical services are master's level clinicians who include social workers, professional counselors, and marriage and family therapists. Many of the clinicians are licensed in their respective professions; others are license-eligible. Those staff who are not license-eligible perform the bulk of the case management services, and are usually bachelor's level staff. Psychiatrists are either board-certified or board-eligible, in child or adolescent psychiatry.

Outpatient programs located at three DeKalb CSB outpatient sites offer the following specific services:

Family therapy
Family therapy is offered as the preferred method of clinical intervention, unless otherwise indicated. Whatever the constellation, every available family member who has regular contact with the child or adolescent is typically invited to participate in treatment, even if the participation is brief, sporadic, or minimal. The inclusion of all significant others provides a richer contextual understanding of the child's current difficulties.

Individual/Play Therapy
Specialized play therapy is usually indicated for young children who often express themselves through the medium of play much more fluently than through direct dialogue. Clinicians who are specially trained in the art of play therapy often utilize the tools which are most familiar to children, including art materials like paint, crayons, or modeling clay; dolls and doll houses; puppets or stuffed animals; storytelling; and therapeutic board games. The clinicians' ability to speak to the child using metaphorical language during play often affords the child a sense of comfort and protection from directly confronting painful and disturbing issues. This is especially important during the rapport-building phase of therapy. For older children and adolescents, individual time is often equally necessary for the purposes of rapport building, though play may not be involved. These consumers typically need time to develop a sense of trust, both in the therapeutic process and in the clinician, and may also desire some separation from parents or guardians in order to more fully disclose concerns they may have.

Group Therapy
Children and adolescents who may have difficulty with the intimacy which characterizes individual sessions may function better in groups. The group format also allows for these consumers to hear from, be confronted by, and join with their peers. The groups may be didactic and structured around a particular theme, or may be open-ended and more process-oriented.

Medication Services
Board-certified (or board-eligible) child and adolescent psychiatrists evaluate all children who have been referred for service, and, whenever medication is indicated as part of the treatment regimen, the psychiatrists prescribe and monitor the medications for effectiveness. Children and adolescents who receive medications prescribed by the psychiatrist are scheduled to see the psychiatrist at least once per month, and more often as indicated.

Case Management Services
Clinical intervention in any of the aforementioned forms also requires that case management, or case coordination, be provided as well. These services may consist of, but are not limited to, the coordination of ancillary services as needed; the development of specific crisis plans which do not rely on hospitalization as a primary method of intervention; consultation with school or medical personnel; participation in the earliest stages of discharge planning if a consumer is admitted to the hospital; or consultation with the juvenile justice system.