Community Programs

Since 2004, the University of Miami’s Families First program, funded by The Children’s Trust, has successfully provided evidence-based, relationship-focused, culturally competent, family strengthening parenting services for parents and caregivers with young children (birth to age 3) throughout Miami-Dade County. Goals include improving the system of care and building resources for parents, strengthening families and promoting optimal child health and development, ensuring the delivery of high-quality standardized parenting activities, ensuring that activities are culturally competent and sensitive, and enhancing parent and community involvement to optimize parent resources. Project activities are based on best-practice concepts from child development theory and research that supports the importance of promoting positive parent-child relationships to facilitate optimal child development. 

Established in 1992 as a response to Hurricane Andrew, the University of Miami Pediatric Mobile Clinic has provided health care to uninsured children in need. Services provided include well-visits, sports physicals and immunizations, management of chronic conditions, urgent care, mental health, and social work. 

Pediatric Mobile Clinic

The Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions develops and supports local systems of care to optimize the health of moms, babies and families. The Association is made up of 32 individual coalitions from across the state. Each coalition uses data and research to design a service delivery plan unique to their community. Together, we unite to have a collective impact toward better outcomes for Florida’s families. 

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The Injury Free Coalition for Kids is among the country’s fastest growing and most effective injury prevention programs. It is comprised of hospital-based, community-oriented programs, whose efforts are anchored in research, education, and advocacy. The Injury Free Coalition of Kids program in Miami centers around three areas of focus: research, car seat installation and inspection, and the Injury Free Bus.

The Social Work Training Program places graduate students to do practicum hours for different programs and different clinics. The placements vary according to the availability of field educators and the Miller School of Medicine referrals. Mailman Social Work Clinic is divided into two services. The first service is for families seeking behavioral help for their children, coping with diagnosis or disabilities. All behavior concerns fit under this program. The second is a part of a collaboration with University of Miami’s Faculty and Staff assistance program. This part of the program sees health providers, staff, faculty, interns or anyone employed by the University seeking mental health services. 

The Child Protection Team (CPT) was established within the University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics in January 1980 to assist DCF in the detection and evaluation of suspected child abuse. This interdisciplinary team involves pediatricians, nurses, caseworkers, and psychologists who collaborate in the assessment of children and families referred by DCF due to allegations of child abuse and neglect. With the establishment of the CPT Assessment Center, it is estimated that CPT will serve and additional 1,440 children per year. Within 72 hours after removal from their homes due to suspected abuse or neglect, children ages birth to 18 years are provided medical and psychological screenings to determine appropriate and specific placement recommendations, and to identify signs of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral deficits that may require further assessment and mental health intervention.

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Provides services for children who do not qualify for Part C or Part B but who have mild but significant delays. Intervention services for children 0 - 5 include care coordination, short-term speech/language, occupational therapy, behavioral and developmental intervention. 

The Jump Start program is funded by The Children’s Trust. Childcare centers are assigned a care coordinator, who conducts initial needs assessments with center staff, as well as provide training focused on the four child-health areas. The services provided are based on best practices and recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Healthy Childcare America.

The Debbie Institute is a center for early intervention research, training and service. For more than 30 years, the Debbie Institute has conducted research on problems impacting children with special needs, provided early intervention services for children and their families and offered training for University students interested in careers in special education, speech-language pathology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and social work.

The Mailman Center offers Assistive Technology services through the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST).  The FAAST mission is to improve the quality of life for all Floridians with disabilities through advocacy and awareness activities that increase access to and acquisition of assistive services and technology needs. 

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Florida’s early intervention system offers services to infants and toddlers (birth to thirty-six months) who are felt to be at risk for developmental delay such as:  delay in achieving developmental milestones, delayed growth, extreme pre-maturity, established neurologic conditions and severe behavior disorders. 

The Touch Research Institute (TRI) is dedicated to studying the effects of touch therapy. The TRI has researched the effects of massage therapy, yoga, tai chi, music and aromatherapy at all stages of life, from newborns to senior citizens. In these studies, the TRI has shown that touch therapy has many positive effects.

HealthySteps, a program for children from birth to 3 years of age, is an evidence-based, interdisciplinary pediatric primary care program that promotes the health, well-being and school readiness of babies and toddlers, with an emphasis on families living in low-income communities. A child and family development professional, known as a HealthySteps Specialist, connects with families during pediatric well visits and home visits as part of the primary care team.

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