Birth to Three and Early Childhood Mental Health Program

Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Medically Complex Young Children and their Families

Young children ages 0-3 who have experienced early life stressors associated with parent/caregiver relationship disruption, including prolonged hospitalization in the NICU/PICU, are more at risk for developing mental health and neurodevelopmental challenges and require a unique approach to assessment and early intervention (Lehner & Sadler, 2015; Dahl et al., 2021; Shonkoff et al., 2012).

Our outpatient clinic specializes in comprehensive social-emotional and developmental assessments. These evaluations typically involve 2-3 appointments and a combination of caregiver interviews, semi-structured behavioral observations, and developmental testing. At the end of the assessment process, we provide individually tailored recommendations to support each family and child. These recommendations may include external community referrals for mental health treatment.

For medically and developmentally complex cases, we provide several evidence-based interventions in-clinic or via telehealth. The early relationship between caregiver and child lays the foundation for lifelong emotional and behavioral well-being. Using the most effective interventions for young children, we support the caregiver-child relationship to promote emotion regulation and help buffer or protect children from future stress. Our work is informed by a variety of early childhood treatment modalities, including: