Stein Tikun Olam Infant-Family Mental Health Initiative
Project Description
Inspired by studies that have shown that early intervention is critical in lowering the risk for mental health disorders, substance abuse, mental and physical abuse and violence later in life, the Stein Tikun Olam Infant-Family Mental Health Initiative was established by a gift made to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles by philanthropists Gene P. and Mindy Stein through the Tikun Olam Foundation. The Initiative aims to provide direct services to more than 100 infants annually, with the majority of those being patients who have severe medical conditions requiring inpatient treatment in the Newborn and Infant Critical Care Unit (NICCU) and outpatient care in the High-Risk Infant Follow-Up (HRIF) clinic. The Initiative will focus on evidence-based and promising innovative approaches to enhance infant development and relationships within the family, as well as between medical and behavioral health providers and the families they serve. Funds will be used to support four psychologists and two home visiting therapists in caring for families with infants served by CHLA, as well as training medical professionals on infant-family mental health and trauma-informed care.
The goals of the Initiative are to:
- Develop a continuum of resilience-building support and services for infants and young children at CHLA and beyond.
- Train healthcare providers in infant-family mental health principles and trauma-informed care.
Important Things to Know
- Families often experience psychosocial stressors, trauma and postpartum depression during an extended hospitalization for an infant born with a serious medical condition .
- Challenges often continue after discharge from the hospital.
- CHLA’s infant-family mental health services help families to develop a strong and growth-promoting attachment with their newborn despite challenges.
- The Tikun Olam Infant-Family Mental Health Initiative will help further our caring mission by infusing best infant-family and early childhood mental health practices into the daily expert medical care delivered at CHLA.
Stein Tikun Olam Infant-Family Mental Health Team
From left, seated: Tamara Matic, PhD; Marie Kanne Poulsen, PhD; Marian E. Williams, PhD. From left, standing: Melissa Carson, PsyD; Patricia Lakatos, PhD; Bradley O. Hudson, PsyD; Steven Chin, MD; Douglas Vanderbilt, MD, MS.
Additional Information
Marian Williams, PhD, Director
Funding: Foundation
Project Duration: 2015 -2020
Collaborators: Tikun Olam Foundation
CHLA Newborn and Infant Critical Care Unit
CHLA High-Risk Infant Follow-Up Clinic
What is Infant-Family Mental Health? Your Questions Answered
