Early Parent Child Intervention
The Early Parent Child Intervention Program is a clinical research service offered through the Hermann Center for Child and Family Development, which is directed by Joan Luby, MD, a Washington University child psychiatrist who specializes in the identification and treatment of early onset mental disorders.
The Early Parent Child Intervention Program is focused on the mental health and emotional development of very young children. The program’s mental health services and research studies focus primarily on helping children from infancy through the preschool period (up to age seven).
Early Psychiatric Care
Washington University Outpatient Psychiatric Services provide a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan, along with medication management for children by board-certified child psychiatrists.
Perinatal Behavioral Health Service
The Perinatal Behavioral Health Service at Washington University in St. Louis provides screening, evaluation, and treatment for parents who are experiencing pregnancy-related or postpartum stress, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders.
SYNCHRONY Project
The SYNCHRONY Project is a clinical service addressing the unmet mental health needs of young children at extreme high risk for maltreatment and its consequences by integrating the efforts of clinical experts in infancy and early childhood with community family support and social service teams. Our clinical experts provide two-generation psychiatric care, developmental screening and intervention planning, family and parent-child interactional therapy, evidence-based parenting education, health and mental health care coordination, and consultation to the STL County Family Court to parameterize safe reunifications of infants and young children in protective custody with their birth families.
THRIVE
THRIVE is a brief parent-child prevention designed to enhance positive parenting skills and reduce negative child mental health outcomes. It is a brief, coached-based, early prevention for children ages 3-7 inspired by Parent Child Interaction Therapy – Emotional Development (PCIT-ED). This prevention utilizes evidence-based techniques shown to foster positive early child development. THRIVE has helped schools and families in the past reduce externalizing behaviors, increase positive peer relationships, and improve caregiver attitudes.
Dr. Joan Luby, MD, and Dr. Patricia Kohl, PhD, are partnering with schools in the St. Louis area to implement THRIVE. The goal is to improve child behavior and school performance, as well as enhance children’s emotional development and functioning.
If you are a school administrator interested in enrolling your school in the study, please contact Claire Baker at (314) 286-2730 or claireb@wustl.edu.
Families of children ages 3-7 interested in THRIVE or PCIT and PCIT-ED should contact your school to see if they are participating. You can also contact the Washington University Hermann Center for Child and Family Development to learn more about services being offered (314) 286-1700.
To learn more about THRIVE please visit the THRIVE webpage.
Trauma Response Program
The Trauma Response Program works to improve access to clinically appropriate and evidence-supported assessment and intervention for patients and families when a potentially traumatic event has occurred. This service excels at prevention and/or treatment of the impact associated with trauma.
The program will provide a comprehensive psychosocial assessment, treatment planning, support in accessing appropriate community resources, psychiatric care and trauma-focused treatments.