Pediatric Psychology Elective Rotations

Interns have the opportunity to participate in Inpatient and an outpatient psychotherapy (brief and long-term), crisis intervention, pain management and help with painful procedures and overall coping with treatment. Primarily CBT and play therapy approaches are used. Interns provide support/education for parents and siblings and conduct neurodevelopmental evaluations with children with cancer who have had brain surgery, brain radiation and some forms of chemotherapy; strokes due to sickle cell disease and school problems etc., often including measures of IQ, processing speed, memory, executive functioning and academic skills. Interns also have the opportunity to participate in interdisciplinary medical rounds and other medical treatment related meetings.

This rotation is a consultation and liaison rotation where the trainee works as a Healthy Steps Specialist in a primary pediatric care clinic and consults with attending pediatricians and residents.  A Healthy Steps Specialist is a child and family development professional, who connects with families during pediatric well-child visits as part of the primary care team. Healthy Steps Specialists identify whether children are reaching developmental milestones, help connect families to additional services, and answer families’ questions about parenting/discipline, child development and well-being so all babies and toddlers have a strong start.  Trainees will also serve the role of educating pediatric residents regarding child development and child psychopathology, including risk, resilience, and prevention issues.  Common problems include maternal postpartum depression and/or other mental health issues, parenting challenges, difficult behaviors in young children (e.g., tantrums, oppositional behavior, sleep problems), and developmental delays and/or disabilities.  Trainees will have an opportunity to carry a small caseload of adults experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety and will also be able to coordinate and make recommendations about referrals for longer term care for both parents and children in need.

This rotation is a consultation and liaison rotation where the trainee staffs a primary pediatric care clinic and consults with attending pediatricians and residents in their clinic. Consultations may include working with families and children on a brief basis and/or consulting with pediatricians regarding child development and behavior. Trainees will also serve the role of educating pediatric residents regarding child development and child psychopathology, including risk, resilience, and prevention issues. Common problems include post-partum depression and parenting challenges, difficult behaviors in young children (tantrums, oppositional behavior, sleep problems), developmental delays and/or disabilities, ADHD, anxiety and depression. There will be ample opportunities to work with adolescents at this site. Trainees will also be able to coordinate and make recommendations about referrals for longer term care. PAC serves families from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds.

This is a primary care rotation that provides consultation services to a mobile, multidisciplinary, pediatric clinic that serves uninsured and underserved children.  The trainees will provide consultation to the team and collaborate with the clinic’s social worker about a variety of behavioral and emotional problems including ADHD, learning/ academic difficulties, developmental delays, elimination disorders, sleeping/eating difficulties, anxiety and mood disorders, trauma exposure and response, and adjustment to living in the US.  Thus,  the trainees will conduct behavioral health/developmental screenings and refer children and families to long-term care and community resources that can best meet their needs from a systemic perspective.  In addition, there will be opportunities to provide advocacy services, brief behavioral interventions, abbreviated parent training,  trauma-informed care, health education, and participate in ADHD diagnosis and medication management with pediatricians.  The Pediatric Mobile clinic serves families from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds with a large percentage of recent immigrants.

This is a consultation and liaison rotation where trainees will work as behavioral health specialists in the Pediatric Pulmonology Division’s Sleep Program. Trainees will collaborate with attending pulmonologists, fellows, and medical residents, serving as part of the interdisciplinary team dedicated to addressing pediatric sleep disorders. Trainees will design and implement behavioral protocols tailored to children and adolescents with a wide range of sleep problems, such as insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, and difficulties associated with obstructive sleep apnea.

As consultants, trainees will evaluate sleep-related behaviors, provide psychoeducation on the impact of sleep on physical and mental health, and offer behavioral sleep interventions. Trainees will work closely with families to develop personalized sleep plans and will provide ongoing support to ensure adherence and improve health outcomes.

Additionally, trainees may collaborate on research studies examining the effectiveness of these interventions and will collaborate with the team to enhance clinical practice through evidence-based approaches. Trainees will also have the opportunity to educate medical residents and fellows on the behavioral aspects of sleep and the importance of interdisciplinary care, fostering a holistic understanding of pediatric sleep health.