We are not an emergency or urgent care facility.
The SIERRA Families program within the Psychological Services Center is an outpatient-training clinic. If you need emergency care, you must call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Our program offers free (grant-funded) services for parents and families with a child between the ages of 0 and 10 years. Our services are designed for parents who have children with mild to moderate behavior problems. We can also help parents whose struggles with stress or mental health impact their ability to parent.
Learn about our servicesSIERRA Families is a program in the Psychological Services Center that teaches skills to improve emotion regulation and relationships among families.
Our program offers free (grant-funded) services for parents and families with a child between the ages of 0 and 10 years. Our services are designed for parents who have children with mild to moderate behavior problems that are disrupting family functioning. We can also help parents who are struggling with their own stress or mental health and such concerns are impacting their ability to parent.
Our services are provided for FREE to all patients.
The clinic is open year-round but has limited availability of services in the summer and winter. We are closed whenever the University is closed (e.g., holidays, snow days).
The SIERRA Families program within the Psychological Services Center is an outpatient-training clinic. If you need emergency care, you must call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Familiarize yourself with our services and learn how to get started with SIERRA Families.
You can reach us directly at (775) 682-8609. We return calls within two business days. When we call you back, we will have some standard questions for you to help us ensure that we get you the help that you need! If we determine that we can meet your family's needs, we will set up an appointment for you.
The SIERRA Families program teaches skills to improve emotion regulation and relationships among families.
Our program offers free (grant-funded) services for parents and families with a child between the ages of 0 and 10 years. Our services are designed for parents who have children with mild to moderate behavior problems that are disrupting family functioning. We can also help parents who are struggling with their own stress or mental health and such concerns are impacting their ability to parent.
Visit our services webpage to learn more about the types of care we offer.
Consider the following questions in self-assessing your eligibility for services from SIERRA Families:
Prior to your first appointment, you will be sent a link to fill out questionnaires to help us better understand how you and your family are functioning.
During your first meeting with an assigned provider, you will complete intake paperwork. Please bring your child to your first meeting. You will fill out standard forms similar to what you would complete at a doctor’s office. You will participate in an interview in which the provider will ask you (and your child, if old enough) questions about your family and treatment needs. You will then learn about the treatment options that we offer, which focus on teaching you skills to help mange your emotions, improve communication with your child and family, and to manage your child's difficult behaviors, with the ultimate goal of developing and sustaining healthy, positive parent-child relationships.
If you cannot attend a scheduled appointment, please call (775) 784-6668 to cancel at least 24 hours in advance.
SIERRA Families is located on the first floor of the Effie Mona Mack Building on the University of Nevada, Reno campus in room 124.
The mailing address is:
Psychological Services Center
Department of Clinical Psychology
Mail Stop 0298
University of Nevada, Reno
1664 N. Virginia St.
Reno, NV 89557
Parking for Psychological Services Center clients is on the second level of the Brian Whalen Parking Garage.
You will need to obtain a parking pass from the clinic assistant or your therapist before parking in this lot.
Look for the white "Psychological Services Center" signs. These are the first three parking spots on the south end of the garage near the elevators. If all three spots are full, public parking is available on the first floor of the garage.
Please place the guest parking pass on the left side of your dashboard to avoid receiving a parking ticket. Unfortunately, we cannot reverse parking tickets.
The Psychological Services Center is closed whenever the University is closed (e.g., holidays, snow days). During breaks and summer, hours can be limited.
The clinic is closed on the following days during the year:*
*Clinic closure means no appointments will be held.
During winter break (typically mid-December to early-January), the clinic has reduced service availability.
SIERRA Families is not equipped to offer treatment to individuals who need immediate emergency intervention.
For immediate emergencies, call 911 or the Crisis Call Center/National Crisis/Suicide Line: 1-800-273-8255 (Press 1 or you can text the keyword ANSWER to 839863)
If you are in crisis or believe you may harm yourself, you can also contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
You also can go to the following locations for assistance:
Some additional relevant resources are as follows:
The SIERRA Families Program is supported by the State of Nevada Fund for a Healthy Nevada and Children's Trust Fund — Title XX. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Division or the State. ***The information presented on or linked to this site is available for educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as medical advice or replace consultation with your doctor or mental health professional. The diagnosis and treatment information on this site is not used to diagnose or treat a mental health problem.***