Child Study Center

Within our Outpatient Services, we provide psychotherapy services to children and youth from birth to age 18 and their families. Our services include:

• Individual and family therapy
• Parent guidance and parent management training
• Group therapy for parents and youth enrolled in individual or family therapy
• Psychiatric evaluations and medication management for youth enrolled in treatment

Our teams are multidisciplinary groups of clinical faculty who perform comprehensive evaluations in children and adolescents suspected of having developmental disabilities. We have a team that specializes in early diagnosis in infants and toddlers, and a second team that specializes in evaluations of children three years and older.

Evaluations take place over two days, and focus on diagnosis, determination of strengths and vulnerabilities, and informing educational interventions. Evaluations include psychological and speech language testing, as well as psychiatric and adaptive functioning assessments.

Our teams are expert in the assessment of complex cases where children have multiple diagnoses. Our services include:

• Evaluations for infants, children, and adolescents who have or are suspected of having developmental disabilities
• Educational advocacy to assist parents with accessing appropriate, supportive, school programming
• College consultation for high school students/families with Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Interventions designed to build on each individual’s strengths, to maximize development and support the family, including Pivotal Response Therapy.

We evaluate and treat children, adolescents and young adults with tics, obsessive compulsive disorders, hair pulling, ADHD symptoms and related difficulties. Our services include:

• Comprehensive evaluations
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), including CBIT-CBT, especially for tics, and Habit Reversal Training for the treatment of trichotillomania (hair pulling)
• Psychopharmacological evaluations and ongoing medication management

We specialize in the evaluation and treatment of children and youth who have experienced a difficult event. When children and adolescents experience overwhelming events, some of them go on to develop symptoms of trauma, intrusive thoughts, heightened awareness, aggression, or other behavioral problems.

We offer a range of treatments and interventions for children and adolescents who are struggling with traumatic reactions and disorders following violent or overwhelming events. Services include:

• Acute Response and Treatment following a potentially traumatic event
• Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI)
• Long-term trauma treatment, including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and family therapy

We specialize in the evaluation, prevention, treatment, and on-going care of children and adolescents struggling with fears, anxiety, selective mutism, school refusal, or unusual worries. Our services include:

• Comprehensive evaluations
• Psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, parent guidance, mindfulness
• School consultations
• Computer-based approaches

For some families, treatment in a clinic or office setting is not sufficient, often due to a need for more intensive services. Our In-Home Programs include a number of community-based interventions that are provided in the home. These services can provide a bridge for youth at risk of hospitalization, or for those who have been recently discharged and need more frequent sessions than outpatients.

As we get to know your individual needs and better understand your family, we will recommend In-Home Services when appropriate.

Services include:

• Intensive In-Home Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services (IICAPS): An in-home psychiatric treatment for families with children or adolescents who have serious emotional disturbances, and are at risk for hospitalization.
• Family-Based Recovery (FBR): In-home, attachment-based, parent-child therapy and contingency management substance abuse treatment.
• Intensive Family Preservation (IFP): An in-home program that works with parents and guardians to meet the needs of their children so they can remain safely together in the home.
• Positive Interventions for Families with HIV/AIDS (PIFA): A home- and community-based service providing mental health and support services to persons living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in the Greater New Haven Area.

We specialize in working with families who have children under age 5.

Services include:

• Developmental evaluations
• Psychotherapy services tailored to the unique needs of young children, including:
  • Non-directive play therapy
  • Child parent psychotherapy (CPP)
  • Circle of Security parenting

Our assessment teams use a broad range of tests for school-aged children and teens, to probe each individual’s strengths and challenges. Evaluations may include assessment of the person’s cognitive abilities, educational skills, and social-emotional adjustment through IQ testing, education testing for learning disabilities, neuropsychological testing of executive functioning, memory, and attention; and assessment of personality and social-emotional functioning.

The comprehensive report includes detailed recommendations for educational and/or psychological interventions. Assessments include:

• Intelligence testing
• Neuropsychological testing
• Social-emotional and personality evaluations
• Highly detailed, individualized reports, recommendations for parents, clinicians, schools, IEP development, behavior strategies, therapy planning

We evaluate and treat children, adolescents, and young adults with who are experiencing a significant depressive episode and meet criteria for treatment-resistant depression. Our services include:

• Comprehensive evaluations
• Psychopharmacological evaluations, recommendations, and ongoing medication management

Within our Outpatient Services, we provide psychotherapy services for adults who are the parent of a child under age 18 and their families. The goal of our program is to support parents around their own mental health needs and wellness and to help adults be successful parents by focusing on their own well-being. Our services include:

• Individual and family therapy for depression, anxiety, trauma, and parenting stress
• Parent support
• Group therapy
• Psychiatric evaluations and medication management for parents enrolled in treatment