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Yale Pediatric Psychology Program Expands, Offers Support to Medically Complex Youth

October 29, 2024
by Crista Marchesseault

Through the ongoing development of pediatric psychology services offered by providers at the Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) in collaboration with the Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS), behavioral health services are now embedded across a wide range of YNHHS primary care and medical subspecialities. The goal is to offer targeted behavioral health support to medically complex youth in need of these specialized services.

As part of this work, eight pediatric psychologists—child psychologists with expertise in the treatment of youth with medical conditions—are embedded in medical groups, programs, and sections at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital to offer targeted behavioral health care to the populations served.

The YCSC pediatric psychology program has been expanded over the last year, under the leadership of YCSC Associate Professor Laurie Cardona and Assistant Professor Maggie Stoeckel. They have been working together to support and mentor YCSC pediatric psychology faculty, while also leading national recruitment efforts to attract additional pediatric psychology faculty to grow the program.

“We currently have embedded providers in primary care, sleep medicine, hematology/oncology, gender program, gastroenterology, orthopedic surgery, type 1 diabetes, and neurology—and we plan to expand the program further in the coming years,” Stoeckel shared. “We have a special group of pediatric psychologists on our faculty. It is truly inspiring to work together with our medical colleagues to support youth and families.”

The vision of the program is to promote the psychological resilience and physical health of youth and families through culturally informed, evidence-based psychological services delivered in an integrated model of multidisciplinary care in pediatric settings.

There is an open search in for a pediatric psychologist to be embedded in the Pediatric Craniofacial Center (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery) through this program. The current program faculty are as follows.

Pediatric Psychology Program Faculty

Leadership Team

Laurie Cardona, PsyD, serves as clinical director of the pediatric psychology program, in addition to her roles as co-director of the YCSC Pediatric Consultation Liaison Service at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, associate director of the APA Predoctoral-Postdoctoral Psychology Training Program, and psychology attending within the Children’s Psychiatric Inpatient Service.

Maggie Stoeckel, PhD, serves as associate clinical director of the program in addition to her role as director of GI Psychology, Pediatric Gastroenterology, and Hepatology. She conducts interdisciplinary clinical services, clinical research, and training activities within the section of pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology, as well as in the YCSC psychology training program.

Faculty Members

Carla Cirilli Andrews, PsyD, is a pediatric psychologist embedded within the New Haven Primary Care Consortium at Sargent Drive. She provides brief diagnostic evaluations and interventions for behavioral health concerns related to chronic illness, adherence to medication plans, and parental psychoeducation about child development and mental health. She also provides extensive teaching and training to medical students and residents.

Danielle Garay, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist embedded in the Pediatric Sleep Program, providing a broad range of treatments for patients served within the program. She also conducts psychological assessments within the YCSC psychological assessment service and serves as a clinical supervisor for the psychology training program.

Caitlyn A. Loucas, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist embedded within Pediatric Hematology and Oncology who provides outpatient and inpatient consultations and treatment to patients and families affected by conditions related to cancer and blood disorders.

Christy Olezeski, PhD, is the director and co-founder of the Yale Pediatric Gender Program, run by an interdisciplinary team that provides multidisciplinary services for transgender and gender expansive youth and families in the Northeast.

Aarti Patel, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist joining the program in December 2024 who will be embedded within the section of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, where she will provide a range of interdisciplinary clinical services and participate in clinical research and training activities.

Cara Tomaso, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist embedded with the Yale Pediatric Orthopedics Program. She provides multidisciplinary care to patients within the Yale Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Program as well as the Female+ Athlete Program.

Carolyn Turek, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist who specializes in treating youth and families managing Type 1 Diabetes. She also conducts psychological assessments within the YCSC psychological assessment service and serves as a clinical supervisor within the psychology training program.

Areti Vassilopoulos, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist embedded within Pediatric Neurology who provides a broad range of behavioral health services to youth and young adults with a variety of conditions, including chronic pain, functional neurological symptom disorder (FNSD), muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. She is the site director for the Comfort Ability Program, an evidence-based workshop for pediatric pain and somatic symptom management. She also serves as a clinical supervisor for YCSC psychology training and practicum programs.