Child Development-Mental Health

Preschool Psychological Services is designed to promote positive emotional and psychosocial development of very young children.  Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers are often exposed to high levels of community and family anger and violence, parental inattention and neglect, and general familial dysfunction.  As a result of these environmental factors, children experience stress and trauma and exhibit emotional and behavioral problems in the child development centers.

These concerns are addressed through the clinical team, which is staffed by a licensed clinical child psychologist who trains and supervised interns and externs from the Department of Mental Health as well as local universities.  This clinical team provides:

• Developmental and psychological evaluations
• Therapeutic services for infants and toddlers
• Individual therapy, including play therapy for preschoolers
• Socialization groups for preschoolers
• Therapeutic interventions for caregiver/child interactions
• Family therapy
• Resources and referrals for special needs children and their parents
• Teacher training and support in identifying and addressing children’s socio-emotional needs
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These interventions promote school readiness and they improve children’s behavioral and emotional functioning in the home, child care center and community.