Outpatient Pediatric/Child Clinical Psychology
Interns will participate in the outpatient therapy program for the entire training year. All faculty members supervise this experience. Individual, family, and group therapies are provided for a broad range of psychological problems. Intervention opportunities are balanced between pediatric psychology and traditional child clinical experiences. Many of the pediatric psychology cases are follow-up appointments resulting from consultation/liaison activities. Examples include medical adherence difficulties (e.g., diabetes), pain management (e.g., headache, recurrent abdominal pain), cardiology, asthma and encopresis. Interns also gain exposure to ADHD, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and mood disorders including unipolar and bipolar disorder. Family adjustment issues include divorce and sibling issues, as well as early childhood issues pertaining to child behavior management, parent-child interaction problems, pediatric feeding disorders, and child maltreatment. If an intern has a special area of interest, cases may be selected to help foster further growth in that area. Interns participate in individual, family and group-based treatment modalities.
Behavior Consultation Clinic
Interns will participate in the Behavior Consultation Clinic for six months. This clinic is designed to provide short-term services for parents and children from birth to six years for a wide range of behavioral and developmental concerns such as parent-child conflict, sleep problems, toileting concerns, daycare difficulties, noncompliance and sibling rivalry. This unique clinic was developed to meet the needs of pediatricians in the area. A preventative, developmentally-based treatment model is applied. The clinic runs on Friday mornings with live supervision provided during the entire clinic via a one-way mirror. Appointments are 45 minutes and therapy focuses on short-term, parent-oriented techniques. Interns frequently interact with child care providers in order to implement recommendations for that setting. Interns also have teaching opportunities as medical residents frequently observe behind the mirror.
Parent/Child ADHD Group
Ongoing groups are provided to help parents learn about ADHD and address common behavioral concerns associated with ADHD, such as noncompliance and aggression. Along with the Parent Group, a Child Social Skills group is also provided to facilitate better peer relationships and learn self-control skills. Interns gain experience coordinating and leading each of these groups. Individualized follow-up treatment for children and family is thereafter available on an as needed basis. Interns have the opportunities to follow-up with physicians and school to help ensure implementation of skills learned and recommendations made during the groups.