Research Clinics

Autism Clinic

This clinic offers an intensive and extensive evaluation of children and teens with suspected autism spectrum conditions. As a child psych resident, your role is to participate in the evaluation by presenting a thorough history, and conducting a parent and child interview, and contributing to the verbal and written feedback given to the family. You may also watch the various other components of the evaluation, including psychology testing and speech and language testing. Patients are not generally followed outside of this evaluation. This is an excellent clinic in which to see a variety of presentations of the ASCs and some of the unusual developmental disorders associated with the conditions. it also is an excellent way to watch an expert team from a variety of disciplines at work and to gain a better understanding of the interface between schools and mental health.

Child Development Unit

The CDU is a young child assessment clinic run in several teams by supervisors with young child expertise. Teams meet weekly to observe one person from their team conduct a thorough assessment of a young child with an emotional or behavioral problem. Trainees receive training during the summer on how to conduct the various components of young child assessments including the Mullen Scales of Early Development and the Vineland Survey. Beginning in August, Trainees typically conduct 2-3 individual assessments which last 6 weeks with a team that they are working with through the year. The assessment includes an intake parent interview, 2 weeks of developmental testing, 2 weeks of play observation, completion of parent and teacher surveys outside of team time, school and/or home observation, and a final feedback session.

Childhood Violent Trauma Clinic

This clinic offers a range of treatments and interventions for children and adolescents who are struggling with traumatic reactions and disorders. In particular, the clinic delivers and researches the Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention, a 4 session Parent-Child model that enhances communication. Trainees may be involved in child and family evaluations and clinic rounds as well as the research that focuses on developing, testing and disseminating state-of-the-art interventions for children and families affected by psychological trauma.

HEROS clinic

HEROS is a survivorship clinic for both adults and kids who were treated for cancer during their childhood. The clinic emphasizes preventive guidance and education to empower survivors to be healthy individuals. Patients are seen annually by a team of medical specialists to carefully follow each patient's specific risk factors based on the treatment they received. Psychosocial evaluations are an integral part of this ongoing care, and target both the emotional sequelae of treatment on the patient and their family, as well as neurocognitive aspects of treatment like cranial radiation and intrathecal chemotherapy. There are also multiple studies involving this clinical population, and enrollment and participation in the studies is integrated into clinic visits. The clinic is usually one morning every two weeks, with some additional team meetings and time for writing notes etc., and can also provide more opportunities working with databases etc.

IICAPS

Intensive In-home Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services allows trainees to become involved in medical management of ongoing community-based treatment of severely emotionally disturbed children. Trainees attend 4 individual rounds weekly to become familiar with the IICAPS treatment model and accompany clinicians on home visits for psychiatric assessment and ongoing care of children and adolescents. Children with mental illness are also followed/treated in the Re-integration arm of IICAPS which assists them as they move from acute or long-term hospitalization/institutionalization to live with families.

Minding The Baby

This is a research program for young, high risk mothers who begin their participation in their first pregnancy investigating the benefit on mother and child outcomes of a weekly home visiting program with a nurse practitioner and social worker focused on reflective functioning. Trainees have the opportunity to conduct research developmental and social assessments including the Ambiance Paradigm, the Strange Situation, and the Bayley Scales of Early Development. Trainees may also attend weekly rounds during which both research and clinical issues are raised. Trainees may be able to investigate a small research project of their own with data from the program. Trainees typically do not have the opportunity to work clinically with program participants except in rare occasions when adult psychiatric assessments are needed for mothers in the program.

Newborn Follow-Up Clinic

This clinic at the CSC is part of a larger national study assessing outcomes of premature and very low birth weight infants. The clinic uses the Bayley Scales of Early Development III to assess infants at 18-24 months corrected age. Training in the Bayley III is offered to incoming fellows in July, but trainees are encouraged to observe assessments if they have not been trained to perform the Bayley III themselves. Assessments are done on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons.

Tourette Syndrome/OCD

This is a specialty clinic at the Yale Child Study Center for the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of tic diroders, OCD and trichotillomania. Residents participate in comprehensive evaluations and treatment recommendations with the support of an interdisciplinary group of child psychiatrists, child psychologists, nurses and social workers. Residents may also train in cognitive behavior therapy in order to provide this to needed patients. Research into treatment (including rTMS), risk factors, is ongoing and may allow for project involvement for trainees.

Depression Clinic

This clinic is part of the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit at CMHC and runs trials and conducts other research into investigational treatments for depression and genetics of mood disorders. Residents have carried patients within this clinic both for medication and psychotherapeutic treatment and have participated as investigators in research studies.

Mood Disorders

The Yale Mood Disorders Research Program (MDRP) is dedicated to understanding the science of mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), depression and other mood disorders. Residents can participate in a multi-disciplinary group of scientists studying the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to mood disorders, and how these factors interact to affect the brain and cause the specific symptoms associated with these disorders.

OCD Clinic

This clinic is part of the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit at CMHC. The clinic is involved in the evaluation and treatment of individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder. The clinic’s current research interests are largely focused on the use of glutamate-modulating drugs in the treatment of refractory OCD. Trainees are taught to complete evaluations of OCD patients presenting to the clinic for consultation or participation in research protocols. Trainees also carry a small number of their own psychotherapy and/or medication management patients in the clinic. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a mainstay of OCD treatment, and trainees who are interested in taking on CBT patients are also provided with CBT supervision.

PRIME Clinic (Prevention through Risk Identification, Management & Education)

PRIME aims to identify and monitor signs of risk for psychotic illness, reduce symptoms of mental and emotional difficulties, and better understand the development of pre-psychotic illness through clinical evaluations, diagnostic clarification, clinical consultation, follow-along monitoring, clinical trials, neuropsychological testing, neurological evaluations, and community education. Resident trainees have an opportunity to be involved in all aspects of this clinic and may carry their own patients as they are monitored for worsening of their presenting symptoms.

STEP Clinic (Early Psychosis)

This clinic is also part of the research program at the CMHC. The STEP clinic aims to study the natural course of disease among individuals presenting with first episode psychosis, as well as the effects of medication therapy and intensive service interventions. Individuals presenting to the STEP clinic come from a range of backgrounds and include a variety of clinical diagnoses (schizophreniform, bipolar, brief psychotic episode). Trainees working in the STEP Clinic have the opportunity to serve as the primary clinician for one or two patients, and engage in both medication management and therapy. Trainees also attend weekly team meetings (Fridays at 9am), and are encouraged to participate in the patient’s weekly group CBT session, which tends to be a highlight for patients and team leaders alike.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

This is a program using rTMS as an investigational treatment for patients who have auditory hallucinations. Residents can become involved in assessing patients who present for this treatment and administering treatment within the blind and open stages of investigational treatment.