Clinical Child Psychology

The Clinical Child Psychology Track provides in-depth training in clinical child psychology within the context of a variety of treatment settings, including inpatient, partial hospital, outpatient, therapeutic school, and home-based environments. In each setting residents will be involved in assessment, treatment, and consultations tailored to best fit each clinical setting. Clinical psychology residents can work with children and adolescents across the age spectrum and with a wide variety of emotional, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental challenges. Individual, family, and group therapy interventions are utilized, with an emphasis on evidence-based practices best suited for the population being treated. Children and adolescents represent a wide range of populations in terms of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and gender identity. Clinical psychology residents complete three 4-month primary rotations within clinical programs that are affiliated with Bradley Hospital. The clinical psychology residents can rank-order the following rotations (described in detail below), based on their particular interests and training goals: Children’s Partial Hospital Program Rotation, Community-Based Therapeutic School Rotation, Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Rotation, Adolescent Inpatient Unit, and Anxiety and OCD Partial Hospital program. In addition, they can participate in supplemental rotations from both the Clinical Child Psychology and Pediatric Psychology Supplemental options.

Clinical Child Psychology Primary Rotations

Each primary rotation lasts four months. Clinical psychology residents within the Clinical Child Psychology Specialty spend the equivalent of three days per week on their primary rotations.

Adolescent Inpatient Rotation

Faculty Supervisor: Katie Affleck, PhD, Claire Nicogossian, PhD, & Jennifer Wolff, PhD
Clinical Presentation: Primary presenting problems include suicidal thoughts and behaviors, depression, severe trauma histories, anxiety, psychosis, behavior problems, substance use, and emerging personality disorders.
Demographic Presentation: Ages 11-18. The AIU serves a diverse population across race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and gender identity. About 60% of patients identify as sexual or gender minorities and one-third are involved with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).
Modality: Diagnostic Assessments, Individual, Group, Family
Description: This rotation offers training in empirically supported assessment and treatment of acute psychopathology on an inpatient unit. The multidisciplinary team includes psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, and milieu staff. Residents engage in diagnostic assessments, provide therapy to 3-4 individual cases, and lead group therapy sessions. Core interventions focus on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), with regular DBT-style consultation meetings. Residents also gain exposure to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI). Training includes participation in morning rounds with the team, as well as individual and group supervision. Opportunities to supervise practicum students and milieu staff are also available.

Children's Partial Hospital Program Rotation

Faculty Supervisor(s): Jennifer Hellmuth, PhD, Erik Hood, PhD, Ryann Morrison, PhD
Clinical Presentation: Children who present with serious emotional and behavioral challenge; high levels of co-morbidity (anxiety disorders, trauma, school refusal, mood disorders, psychotic spectrum disorders, ADHD, ODD, family conflict).
Demographic Presentation: Ages 7-12. 
Modality: Assessments, Individual, Group, Family
Description: The Children’s Partial Hospital Program provides intensive evidence-based interventions with children and their families, beginning with a comprehensive family and child assessment, followed by collaborative goal setting. Children typically remain in the program for 6-8 weeks. Clinical psychology residents are involved in all aspects of the program, including diagnostic evaluations, individual, group, and family therapy, and consultation on milieu interventions and assessment outcomes. They also help plan transitions back to community settings including school and outpatient care. Residents gain experience working with a multidisciplinary team that includes behavioral health specialists, nurses, teachers, social workers, psychologists, art therapists, speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, and psychiatrists.

Community-Based Therapeutic School Rotation

Faculty Supervisor(s): Jamie Hollenbeck, PsyD, Lisa Freda, PsyD, Christina Bellanti, PhD, & Melanie Dubard, PhD
Clinical Presentation: Youth with serious emotional, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental challenges that have interfered with their ability to be educated within the public school setting.
Demographic Presentation: Ages 3-21 years old; diverse population in terms of diagnosis, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status that differs based on the specific school location.
Modality: Assessments, Individual, Group
Description: In the Community-Based Therapeutic School rotation, clinical psychology residents develop skills in assessment, treatment, and consultation with youth presenting a range of educational, emotional, and neurodevelopmental needs. The program’s diverse classrooms offer opportunities to work with a broad spectrum of presenting issues and co-morbidities. Residents participate in all aspects of the day treatment program with supervision, conducting cognitive, adaptive, and clinical evaluations, as well as providing individual and group therapy. They also consult with classroom staff on implementing and monitoring cognitive-behavioral interventions for all students. Depending on their goals and expertise, residents may also implement evidence-based curricula in specific classrooms. Throughout the rotation, residents collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including special education teachers, classroom behavior specialists, school nurses, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, and speech/language pathologists.

OCD and Anxiety Partial Hospital Rotation in the Pediatric Anxiety Research Center Rotation

Faculty Supervisor(s): Michael Walther, PhD, Andrea Gold, PhD, & Sarah Morris, PhD
Clinical Presentation: Primary presenting problems severe OCD and other functionally impairing anxiety disorders and are likely to benefit from a primary exposure model of treatment, with high levels of co-occurring conditions, including ADHD, autism, major depressive disorder, family conflict/relational issues. In the DBT-X Track, adolescents present with emotional and interpersonal dysregulation, suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors.
Demographic Presentation Ages 5-18; Ages 12-18 and diverse population in terms of gender identity and sexual orientation within the adolescent DBT-X Track
Modality Individual, Family, Group, Assessment, Community/school/home exposure visits (optional)
Description: In the OCD and Anxiety program, trainees will have opportunities to assess and treat youth who present with severe OCD and other functionally impairing anxiety disorders and are likely to benefit from a primary exposure model of treatment. The multidisciplinary team is comprised of clinical psychology and psychiatry residents and fellows, psychologists, psychiatrists, and milieu staff. Resident will also have training opportunities within the OCD program’s DBT-X Track, which integrates exposure and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) approaches for high-risk, multi-problem patients. Patients participate in individual and group-based exposure therapy, psychoeducation, motivational enhancement, family therapy, and psychopharmacologic assessment and treatment. Patients also receive 2-5 home/community visits every week. Residents will be responsible for attending treatment team meetings and treating 3 cases with a staff psychologist. Residents also spend time daily working with patients and exposure coaches in the milieu. Opportunities for residents to supervise exposure coaches will occur during treatment team meetings, visits, and milieu time. Opportunities will also exist for residents to participate in home/community visits, facilitate DBT skills training and peer coaching groups, and/or attend the DBT-X consultation team meeting if they are interested.

Pediatric Consultation Liaison Rotation

Faculty Supervisors: Margaret Mannix, PhD, Emily Katz, MD, Ashley Brown, PhD, Alison Manning, MD
Clinical Presentation: Patients who are awaiting inpatient hospitalization due to suicidality, aggression, or acute presentations as well as those who have comorbid medical and psychiatric concerns.
Demographic Presentation: Families are ethnically diverse from a wide variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Modality: assessment, individual
Description: The Pediatric Consultation/Liaison rotation for child track interns entails participation with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry team consulting to Hasbro Children’s Hospital’s medical inpatient floors. The team consists of several triple board fellows, child psychiatry fellows, and psychology post-doctoral fellows and residents. Common referral questions include pain complaints, eating disorders, adjustment to chronic illness, problems with adherence to medical regimens, and suicidality.

Adolescent Partial Hospital Program (APHP) / Bradley REACH Rotation

Faculty Supervisor: Carla Correia, PsyD, Molly Hedrick, PhD
Clinical Presentation: mood and anxiety disorders, self-injurious behavior and suicidality, behavioral and interpersonal challenges, family conflict, academic struggles and school refusal, challenges with gender and identity development, social difficulties related to autism spectrum disorders, and the effects of trauma.
Demographic Presentation: Ages 12-18; Patients represent a wide range of populations in terms of race, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and gender identity. 
Modality: Individual, Group, Family
Description: This program provides intensive therapeutic interventions for adolescents and their families, alongside consultations with schools and outpatient providers. Adolescents typically engage in the program for 2-4 weeks. Clinical psychology residents gain hands-on experience by working closely with a multidisciplinary treatment team comprising milieu therapists, nurses, teachers, psychologists, occupational therapists, art therapists, social workers, and psychiatrists. Under supervision, residents actively participate in all facets of the partial hospital program. Residents deliver empirically-supported treatments to adolescents through individual and group therapy, as well as assist in family therapy as co-therapists. Residents are involved in the planning and consultation process, focusing on patients' transition back to community settings, including schools and outpatient therapy. There are opportunities to collaborate with interpreters, particularly in the context of family therapy, ensuring comprehensive care. The program offers both in-person and telehealth therapy options.

Clinical Child Psychology Supplemental Rotations

One day per week throughout the training year is available for supplemental rotations. Supplemental rotations involve half day and rotation length is 6 months.

Trainee may choose Supplemental Rotations from the Pediatric Psychology and/or Clinical Child Psychology Specialty options (see additional supplemental options under Pediatric Psychology description).

Anxiety Clinic Rotation

Faculty Supervisor(s): Jenny Herren, PhD & Erin O’Connor, PhD
Clinical Presentation:  The program primarily addresses OCD and Anxiety Disorders, along with related conditions such as hoarding, school avoidance, selective mutism, Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (e.g., trichotillomania, excoriation) and tic disorders. Co-morbidity is common, including medical diagnoses, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and depressive disorders.
Demographic Presentation: Children and Adolescents, 5-18 years old
Modality: Assessment, Individual, and Family Therapy
Description: The purpose of the PARC Anxiety Clinic rotation is to allow trainees to gain more specialized and long-term experience in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with primary anxiety disorders and/or OC spectrum disorders. The focus of the training is on the delivery of principle-based CBT. While specific CBT intervention is case and diagnosis-dependent, the use of exposure therapy or exposure and response prevention (ERP) is emphasized. This rotation offers the opportunity to see cases at the outpatient level that have stepped down from a partial level of care, have co-morbid presentations, and involve family-based exposure interventions. Cases are seen independently under the supervision of the primary faculty supervisors. Group supervision is used to enhance learning through case discussion and opportunities for peer consultation. This supplemental rotation requires participation for half a day per week.

Autism Intensive Behavior Treatment (IBT) Program Rotation

Faculty Supervisor(s): Karyn Blane, PsyD
Clinical Presentation: Children & families managing autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their homes & communities
Demographic Presentation: Children aged 2-8, their families/caretakers; diverse population in terms of race, ethnicity, gender identification in family, culture of home, and socioeconomic status.
Modality: discrete trial teaching, incidental learning, parent training, school consultation
Description: This rotation provides the opportunity for clinical psychology residents to acquire knowledge and experience with applied behavior analytic (ABA) treatment methodology and individualized interventions for children across SES levels with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This homebased training focuses on understanding the science of ABA and involves the systematic application of behavioral methods to promote behavior change and the learning of new skills in the home and community settings. In addition, parent training and the generalization of skills are essential components of the treatment. Clinical psychology residents participate in this supplemental rotation for two half-days per week. Trainees participate as members of treatment teams by directing individualized discrete trial training programs, consulting with families to promote consistency across environments, planning and implementing social and play opportunities for children, and developing techniques to monitor and assess the effectiveness of intensive behavioral treatment programs. Practical solutions and recommendations are emphasized across this rotation to support optimal progress for the children and families, and to maintain skills across settings. Trainees must have reliable transportation to be able to fully participate in this rotation.

Supplemental DBT Skills Group Rotation

Faculty Supervisor(s): Andrea Gold, PhD, Sarah Morris, PhD, and Sarah McHugh, PhD
Clinical Presentation: severe OCD/Anxiety that co-occurs with emotional and interpersonal dysregulation, suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) behaviors. 
Demographic Presentation Ages 12-18, diverse population in terms of gender identity and sexual orientation
Modality Group
Description: The Supplemental DBT Skills Group rotation offers residents specialized experience in delivering DBT skills and coaching within a group therapy format for adolescents and their caregivers. Residents work with families in the DBT-X Track of the OCD Partial Hospital Program (PHP) at the Pediatric Anxiety Research Center (PARC), where patients receive intensive exposure and ritual prevention (ERP) therapy for primary OCD and anxiety diagnoses. In the DBT-X Track, DBT is integrated with ERP to address co-occurring issues like emotional dysregulation and self-injurious behaviors. Residents participate in one of two group therapy modalities: the DBT-X Peer Coaching Group, where teens provide and receive DBT-based coaching to enhance exposure work, or the DBT-X Caregiver Skills Group, which focuses on teaching DBT skills like validation, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. The rotation includes 4 hours per week, comprising 2 hours of direct care, team meetings, and weekly supervision by a licensed DBT psychologist. Didactic training on DBT and the integration of ERP and DBT (DBT-X) is also provided and reviewed in supervision.

Early Childhood Rotation

Faculty Supervisor(s): Rebecca Newland, PhD, Rachel Herman, PhD, Rebecca Silver, PhD, & Christine Low, PhD  
Clinical Presentation: Young children whose social, emotional, or behavioral health is of concern to families or early care and education staff.
Demographic Presentation: This consultation program serves early learning programs, children (newborn to five years), and families across the state. Early care and education programs who accept state child care subsidies are prioritized.
Modality: Infant and early childhood mental health consultation within early care and education settings.
Description: This rotation provides the opportunity for clinical psychology residents to receive specialized training in early childhood mental health. The rotation focuses on early childhood mental health consultation, primarily in early care and education settings. This service involves assessment of identified children at their early learning program (including classroom observations, standardized questionnaires, and interviews with family caregivers and teachers), feedback and recommendations provided to families and childcare staff, and individualized follow-up supports and coaching to implement recommendations in the classroom. Clinical psychology residents participate for a half-day per week, for a minimum of 6 months. Mileage will be reimbursed at the federal rate.

Pediatric Consultation Liaison Rotation

Faculty Supervisors: Margaret Mannix, PhD, Emily Katz, MD, Ashley Brown, PhD, Alison Manning, MD
Clinical Presentation: Patients who are awaiting inpatient hospitalization due to suicidality, aggression, or acute presentations as well as those who have comorbid medical and psychiatric concerns
Demographic Presentation: Families are ethnically diverse from a wide variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Modality: assessment, individual
Description: The Pediatric Consultation/Liaison rotation for child track interns entails participation with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry team consulting to Hasbro Children’s Hospital’s medical inpatient floors. The team consists of several triple board fellows, child psychiatry fellows, and psychology post-doctoral fellows and residents. Common referral questions include pain complaints, eating disorders, adjustment to chronic illness, problems with adherence to medical regimens, and suicidality.

Stride Clinic (Early Psychosis) Rotation

Faculty Supervisors: Elizabeth Thompson, PhD
Clinical Presentation: youth with psychosis-spectrum disorders
Modality: assessment, individual, family
Description: The Stride Clinic rotation provides opportunities for trainees to gain specialized training in the assessment and treatment of psychosis-spectrum disorders in youth. This outpatient clinic offers diagnostic assessment and individual, family, and group therapy, integrated within a multidisciplinary team that provides psychiatric care and wraparound services in the community. Clinical psychology residents will receive in-depth training in semi-structured diagnostic interviewing, including specialized assessment of psychosis-spectrum conditions, as well as training in differential considerations and preparing treatment recommendations based on assessment findings. Another focus of training is on the delivery of CBT for psychosis (CBTp), as well as other evidence-based interventions (e.g., DBT, ACT, social skills training). The clinic also provides consultation services, primarily within Lifespan’s adolescent inpatient and partial hospital programs. This supplemental rotation requires at least one half-day commitment per week. 

Pediatric Psychology 

The Pediatric Psychology Track provides in-depth training in pediatric psychology within a general medical setting. It is designed to teach clinical psychology residents assessment, treatment, and consultation skills across a continuum of care settings.

The Pediatric Psychology training opportunities are organized to provide clinical psychology residents with primary rotations emphasizing three different settings of pediatric psychology: 1) clinic-based consultation and integrated care pediatric psychology, 2) partial hospitalization (day treatment) pediatric psychology, and 3) inpatient pediatric psychology. Children with co-occurring medical and psychological problems constitute the primary treatment population. Training is provided to a variety of pediatric populations via hospital clinics and services (see descriptions below). Trainees also maintain long-term treatment cases via year-long participation in the oncology service. Behavioral interventions constitute the primary therapeutic modalities. Experiences in family and group therapies are also incorporated. Trainees complete all three of the primary rotations listed and also choose supplemental rotations from the Pediatric Psychology and Clinical Child Psychology options.

Pediatric Psychology Primary Rotations

Each primary rotation lasts four months. The first rotation runs from July through October, the second rotation runs from November through February, and the third rotation runs from March through June. Residents in the Pediatric Psychology Specialty will participate in all three of the following primary rotations, organized by level of care provided.

Hasbro Children's Partial Hospital Rotation

Faculty Supervisors: Rebecca Laptook, PhD, Holly Manning, PhD, Kelsey Borner, PhD, Deborah Rasile, PhD, Jack Nassau, PhD, & Matt Willis, MD
Clinical Presentation: Primary presenting problems include medical illnesses complicated by psychological factors, psychiatric illnesses complicated by physical factors, or both. Common types of presenting problems include eating disorders, elimination disorders, medical treatment non-adherence, pain disorders, and functional neurological disorder. 
Demographic Presentation: Ages 6-18. The HCPHP patient population varies across race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and gender identity. Many have trauma histories and have or had involvement with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
Modality: Diagnostic Assessments, Individual, Group, Family
Description: This rotation provides intensive training in interventions for youth with co-occurring pediatric illness and psychiatric conditions in a day treatment model. The purpose of this rotation is to help the trainee develop competence in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and families with complicated medical, emotional, and behavioral presentations. The HCPHP uses a family systems-oriented, day hospital format to treat children with a wide range of pediatric illnesses that have been refractory to standard treatment. Children attend the program five days a week, 8 hours a day, for an average length of stay of 6-8 weeks. The HCPHP has a multidisciplinary staff, including psychologists, pediatricians, child psychiatrists, pediatric nurses, nutritionists, teachers, and milieu therapists. Residents participate fully as members of the multidisciplinary treatment team, carrying a caseload of 2 patients, and have close collaboration with colleagues from all disciplines during training. Trainees will learn how to assess the individual, family, and academic needs of patients and how to develop interventions within an interdisciplinary framework.  Residents will observe and participate in family therapy and will be involved in care coordination/discharge planning and school collaboration. 

Inpatient Care Rotation - Medical/Psychiatric Inpatient Program Rotation

Faculty Supervisors: Rawya Aljabari, PhD, Jen Stockwood, PsyD
Clinical Presentation: Treatment may address the safety and stabilization of patients who have co-occurring concerns such as eating disorders, somatoform disorders, gastrointestinal illnesses, diabetes, seizures, pain syndromes, and complex presentations needing diagnostic clarification.
Demographic Presentation: Ages 12-17, serving a diverse population across race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and gender identity
Modality: Diagnostic Assessment, Individual, Family, Group
Description:  The Medical/Psychiatric Inpatient Program serves a diverse population of adolescents struggling with co-occurring psychiatric and medical illnesses requiring inpatient psychiatric hospitalization (typically short-term).  Patients come from all areas of the country for treatment. This 16-bed unit in Hasbro Children’s Hospital is staffed by pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other health professionals who collaborate to provide acute psychiatric and medical care. This includes multidisciplinary assessments leading to individualized care plans, individual therapy, family therapy, daily group therapy, community meetings, and milieu therapy. Trainees will spend two months gaining exposure to all elements of the program by serving as a clinician for cases in the program. Patients on the Medical/Psychiatric Inpatient Program often step down to the Partial Hospitalization (day treatment) Program.

Pediatric Sleep Disorders Clinic Rotation

Faculty Supervisor: Julie Boergers, PhD
Clinical Presentation: Primary presenting problems include insomnia, bedtime refusal, delayed sleep phase, sleep terrors, nighttime fears, excessive daytime sleepiness, and adherence to medical treatments for disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome.
Demographic Presentation: Ages 12 months through 18 years. The clinic serves a diverse population across race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and gender identity.  Comorbid neurodevelopmental and/or medical conditions are common.
Modality: Diagnostic Assessments, Family, Individual
Description: This rotation offers training in empirically supported assessment and treatment of pediatric sleep disorders in an integrated multidisciplinary outpatient clinic.  The multidisciplinary team includes psychology, pulmonology, and trainees from psychiatry and pediatrics.  Residents engage in diagnostic assessments and provide therapy. Treatment is primarily family-based and consultative in nature. Core interventions include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), sleep training approaches such as graduated extinction, and parent training.   Training includes co-therapy as well as individual and group supervision. Residents learn cross-cutting skills that can be leveraged in many other clinical settings.  

Primary Care Clinic Rotation

Faculty Supervisors: Janet Anderson, EdD (Med-Peds), Judith McCullough Romero, PhD (Med-Peds and Pediatrics, Michelle Pievsky, PhD (Pediatrics)
Clinical Presentation: A variety of presenting problems, including traditional mental health concerns (e.g. mood and anxiety disorders, behavior problems, ADHD) and/or various behavioral health concerns (e.g., weight management, chronic pain, toileting). Residents rotating with Dr. Pievsky will focus in particular on children ages 0-3 with developmental concerns, especially those who screen positive for autism. 
Demographic Presentation: In the Med-Peds clinic, the caseload typically includes adolescents and young adults, with some adults seen. At Pediatrics, residents will work with children and adolescents. 
Modality: Diagnostic Assessments, Individual, Family
Description: At both clinics, trainees will evaluate and treat patients who are referred for mental health services by the clinic’s primary care physicians and medical residents, provide consultation services for medical staff when in the clinic, and coordinate with primary care physicians regarding the treatment plan. At the Med-Peds Clinic, we use an eclectic treatment approach that has a foundation in CBT and also includes DBT and ACT. At the Peds Clinic, our treatment approach is eclectic and heavily influenced by ACT. There is particular emphasis on early childhood development in consultations and referrals with Dr. Pievsky. There is the opportunity to work alongside other allied behavioral health professionals, including social workers and psychiatry residents and fellows, in addition to collaborating with pediatric residents and attendings.

Feeding Disorders Clinic Rotation

Faculty Supervisors: Sarah Hagin, PhD
Clinical presentation: primary presenting problems include ARFID, developmental and intellectual delays, and acute and chronic medical conditions that impact feeding development. 
Demographic presentation: Average age is around 3yo. Ages range from infancy to adolescence. The feeding clinic serves a diverse population across race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status. 
Modality: Diagnostic Assessment, Exposure- and family-based interventions.
Description: The Pediatric Feeding Disorders rotation is a multidisciplinary outpatient clinical program for children with significant nutritional and feeding disorders associated with chronic illness or disability. The Feeding Disorders program is organized through the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology. Treatment is coordinated with the disciplines of Pediatric GI, Nutrition, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Pathology. Psychology trainees will conduct evaluations and treatment of children and families as they relate to feeding. Psychological treatments are family-oriented and behaviorally based. 

Eating Disorders Rotation

Faculty Supervisor: Pam Scalise, PsyD
Clinical Presentation: Primary presenting problems include eating disorders (Anorexia, bulimia, ARFID) and co-occurring mental health concerns though these are not the primary focus of treatment. 
Demographic Presentation: Ages 12-22. Adolescent medicine serves a diverse population across race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and gender identity. 
Modality: Diagnostic Assessments, Individual, Family 
Description: The purpose of the Eating Disorder Clinic rotation is to provide training in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders. Patients are primarily adolescents, with some children and young adults (college-aged). We use an integrated treatment approach with a foundation in Family Based Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa (FBT) and incorporate DBT, CBT, and trauma-informed treatment approaches. Trainees will conduct initial assessments and may follow patients for short-term therapy in clinic. The clinic is made up of a multidisciplinary team including adolescent medicine, psychology, social work, and dieticians.

Pediatric Cardiology Clinic (PHC) Rotation

Faculty Supervisors: Janet Anderson, EdD & Barbara Jandasek, PhD
Clinical Presentation: Primary presenting problems include individual and familial adjustment to heart-related symptoms (e.g., chest pain, palpitations) or congenital heart disease (CHD), preparation for medical procedures, transition to increased responsibility for their own medical care for youth with CHD and preparation for transfer to adult cardiology, as well as co-occurring mental health issues, such as behavior problems, depression and anxiety.  
Demographic Presentation: The PHC serves families who have been identified during prenatal screening and follows patients from birth through young adulthood. All families may be referred to behavioral health, although the majority of our patients are school-aged through adolescents. As the only Heart Center in the state, we see a diverse population in terms of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, as well as sexuality and gender identity.
Modality: Diagnostic Assessments, Individual, Family, and potential option to be involved in Group 
Description: The Pediatric Cardiology rotation entails providing integrated behavioral health services in Hasbro’s Pediatric Heart Center. Trainees on the rotation participate as part of an interdisciplinary treatment team that includes representation from disciplines of nursing, cardiology, psychology, and social work. Treatment provided is typically individual and family therapy, informed by CBT, ACT, and MI. Culturally Responsive Supervision is integrated into this training experience. Opportunities to observe all aspects of medical care within the PHC are available during this rotation, including medical visits, echocardiograms and stress tests.

Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic Rotation

Faculty Supervisors: Christine Nunes, PsyD
Clinical Presentation: The endocrinology department serves children presenting for a number of medical presentations including Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. Common referrals for psychology also include Thyroid Disease and Turner’s syndrome.
Demographic Presentation: Psychology serves children most commonly between 5-22 years of age. Family therapy is also a common modality used in this clinic.
Modality: Diagnostic Assessment, Individual and Family therapy
Description: The Endocrinology Clinic is a multidisciplinary outpatient clinical for children with endocrinology disorders and diseases. The goal of this rotation is to learn about the most common referral populations which include Diabetes and Thyroid disorders to provide evidence-based individual and family therapies to meet the patient behavioral health needs. Common presentations include burnout with diabetes care and exacerbation of anxiety/mood concerns with hyper/hypothyroidism. The trainee with work directly with the clinic supervisor to deliver services throughout this rotation. 

Pediatric Consultation/Liaison Rotation

Faculty Supervisors: Margaret Mannix, PhD, Emily Katz, MD, Ashley Brown, PhD, Alison Manning, MD
Clinical Presentation: Consultations from pediatrics and medical specialty teams for pain complaints, eating disorders, adjustment to chronic illness, problems with adherence to medical regimens, coping with burns or other traumas, and suicidality. There is a spectrum of medical patients with no psychiatric history to those with co-morbid, chronic and refractory psychopathology. 
Demographic Presentation: Ages 2-21. Patients and families are ethnically diverse from a wide variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. 
Modality: Clinical evaluation, diagnostic assessment, brief individual therapy, crisis prevention and intervention
Description: The Pediatric Consultation/Liaison experience entails participation with the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry team consulting to Hasbro Children's Hospital's medical inpatient floors. The team consists of both psychiatry and psychology trainees. Residents and fellows are expected to serve as the primary clinician on new consultations and to provide follow-up care as indicated. More specifically, residents and fellows will: evaluate medically ill children for co-morbid mental health disorders that may be playing a role in their medical presentation and treatment; provide evaluation and disposition planning of pediatric patients medically admitted in the wake of suicidal or self-injurious behaviors; develop behavioral plans for patients who are having difficulty coping with their illness or participating in their care; provide short-term psychological treatment and psychoeducation to patients and their families; work closely with medical, nursing, social work, child life, and PT/OT staff to coordinate care, especially behavioral treatments to medically hospitalized children; provide psychoeducation to staff members and families to help them provide developmentally and psychologically appropriate care to minimize the patient's distress or discomfort and prevent or limit iatrogenic trauma to patients and their families; and participate in twice-weekly team rounds.

Oncology Service Rotation

Faculty Supervisor: Margaret Mannix, PhD 
Clinical Presentation: Common referral concerns include adjustment to diagnosis, pain management, difficulty with procedures or treatment regimens, anxiety, depression, and bereavement.
Demographic Presentation: Trainees may have the opportunity to work with parents of patients with cancer if this is of interest, therefore, age range is wide. Patients are treated on the oncology service until 25 years old.  
Modality: Clinical evaluation, individual therapy, potential family therapy, bereavement therapy
Description: The Pediatric Hem/Onc Service is a multidisciplinary clinical program for children with cancer or hematological disorders and their families.  Psychology trainees on the oncology rotation provide evaluation and treatment and consult to members of the multidisciplinary team. Depending on their medical status and the needs of the family, patients are seen during inpatient stays, during outpatient visits to the Tomorrow Fund Clinic, or during outpatient visits at the Psychology Clinic. Opportunities also exist for didactic presentations to the team and consultation to schools. This is a 6-month rotation.

Hematology Service Rotation

Faculty Supervisor: Margaret Mannix, PhD
Clinical Presentation: Presenting problems may be related to mood, behavior, anxiety, feeding/sleeping difficulties, adherence, pain management, school concerns, and illness adjustment.
Demographic Presentation: Patients and families within this clinic are from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and the majority are of African and Hispanic descent. Patients are followed in the pediatric clinic from birth through early adulthood. 
Modality: Brief clinical assessment, behavioral health screening, neurocognitive screening, individual and family therapy
Description: The Pediatric Hematology rotation provides unique training in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with sickle cell disease and thalassemia across settings (e.g., outpatient specialty clinic, inpatient setting, outpatient intervention, outpatient assessment). Residents will be integrated within the multidisciplinary team (consisting of hematologists, social workers, nutritionists, dentists, and nurses) for the bi-weekly Comprehensive Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Clinic. Psychology team members typically meet with each patient and are available to address specific concerns/difficulties as they arise, completing brief consult-based assessments and coordinating closely with other team members. There are also opportunities to see patients with SCD when they are admitted for an inpatient hospitalization and for short-term, outpatient intervention. 

Given the neurocognitive sequelae of sickle cell disease, the service has a standardized screening protocol in which all children are referred for a brief cognitive screening battery at ages 5/6 and 12/13. The resident will have the opportunity to administer this battery, score, write brief letters with results and findings, and formulate conceptualizations and impressions to inform recommendations. The Sickle Cell Disease program is growing at Hasbro Children’s Hasbro and there are opportunities for residents to engage in program development as well (e.g., education-based group development/implementation, development of educational handouts) if interested.

SibLink Group Rotation

Faculty Supervisor: Wendy Plante, PhD
Clinical Presentation: Primary presenting problems include adjustment to family-related stressors, including medical, developmental, and psychiatric conditions (e.g., cancer, traumatic brain injury, autism spectrum disorders, mood disorders).  
Demographic Presentation: Ages 7-12. Siblings from across RI from a variety of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds participate in the program.
Modality: Diagnostic Assessments, CBT-based group therapy, and parent feedback sessions.
Description: The Pediatric Sibling Group Rotation is part of SibLink, a clinical program that addresses the needs of siblings of children with chronic medical, developmental, and behavioral disorders. This is an opportunity for residents to learn about chronic illness from another child’s view, to evaluate the impact of these conditions on the family level, and to tailor a manualized group treatment for participants. Groups are designed to foster sibs’ understanding of and positive adaptation to their siblings’ conditions. Trainees conduct intake evaluations, take the lead in planning the intervention, and serve as leaders of sibling groups. Opportunities to supervise practicum students are sometimes available.

Pediatric Rehabilitation Clinic Rotation

Faculty Supervisor: Melissa Pielech, PhD
Clinical Presentation: Presenting problems include persistent pain conditions, somatic symptoms, and/or Functional Neurological Disorders
Demographic Presentation: Children and adolescents (≥ 8-years-old), as well as their caregivers from a range of demographic backgrounds representing the state of Rhode Island
Modality: Consultation/evaluation and brief intervention 
Description: Rehabilitation therapists (i.e. physical and occupational therapists) refer patients to psychology for evaluation and treatment (as indicated). Treatment utilizes evidence-based, family-centered approaches (primarily ACT and CBT) to treating pain/ somatic symptoms and associated psychopathology and involves frequent communication with the patient’s rehab providers to ensure consistency in our multidisciplinary approach. Trainees are responsible for conducting an initial assessment and functional analysis. The initial assessment is then used to develop a case conceptualization and inform the selection of specific skills to deliver/address in ongoing therapy. Referrals to community providers for longer-term treatment are provided, as needed. Trainees consult and coordinate with occupational, physical, and speech therapists, as well as other providers, such as the neurologist or pediatrician. 

Juvenile Justice/Behavioral Health 

One clinical psychology resident will specialize in a combination of adolescent substance use and forensic mental health with the Juvenile Justice/Behavioral Health. Each clinical psychology resident completes two 12-month primary rotations and two 12-month minor rotations within clinical programs affiliated with Rhode Island and Bradley Hospitals. Specifically, the clinical psychology resident will complete a combination of rotations at the Rhode Island Family Court Mental Health Clinic, Adolescent Substance Use Program, and Rhode Island Training School. Training emphasis is on the necessary integration of substance use and mental health assessment and treatment for youth who are justice-involved or at-risk for justice involvement and thereby exponentially at-risk for poor long-term behavioral health outcomes.  All experiences will emphasize interdisciplinary collaborations in providing integrated behavioral health assessment and treatment and inter professional learning across multiple disciplines, including, but not limited to, psychology, medicine, nursing, juvenile justice and social work. The clinical psychology resident participates in the following primary rotations: Rhode Island Family Court Mental Health Clinic and Adolescent Substance Use Program Rotations as well as minor rotations at the Rhode Island Training School and Bradley Hospital Inpatient Rotations.

All Juvenile Justice/Behavioral Health rotations serve a diverse population. A majority of youth are racial/ethnic minorities, with a large representation of Latino families. Trainees will have exposure to working with interpreters. In addition, the range of diagnostic presentations are also diverse including trauma-related disorders, substance use, anxiety, depression, developmental disorders, and behavioral disorders.

Primary Rotations

The clinical psychology resident will complete two primary rotations for 12-months. 

Adolescent Substance Use Rotation (12-months: 3 half days)

Faculty Supervisor(s): Robert Miranda, Jr., PhD
Description: This rotation provides training in empirically supported assessment and treatment of adolescent substance use disorders in an intensive outpatient setting and a step-down outpatient level of care.   Youth may be court-involved, school-referred, or privately referred.  This rotation provides training and exposure to individual, group, and family-based substance abuse treatment.  The multidisciplinary team is comprised of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, licensed mental health clinicians, and milieu staff. Clinical psychology residents will have opportunities to assess adolescents with recent substance use who present with a range of co-occurring issues (including suicidality, non-suicidal self-injury, and behavior problems). Residents are responsible for conducting an initial diagnostic assessment and conducting evidence-based (motivational enhancement, cognitive-behavioral) individual, group, and family-based treatment in an intensive outpatient setting and step-down level of care. Co-therapy may also occur. Clinical psychology residents will participate in and receive supervision (individual and group) in all aspects of the substance use treatment services.

Mental Health Court Clinic Rotation

Faculty Supervisor (s): Miyah Grant, Psy.D., Kathleen Kemp, Ph.D., & Crosby Modrowski, Ph.D.
Modality: Forensic assessments, consultation, report writing, and testimony
Legal Questions: Adjudicative competence, violence and sexual risk assessments, Competence to waive Miranda rights, forensic mental health and co-occurring disorder diagnostic evaluations.
Demographic Presentation: Ages 10-18. The Mental Health Court Clinic serves a diverse population across race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexuality, and gender identity. Minoritized youth are overrepresented in both the juvenile legal and child welfare systems. The Mental Health Court Clinic provides evidenced-informed evaluations for an underserved population in the community. 
Description: In the Mental Health Court Clinic rotation, the clinical psychology resident has the opportunity to develop competency in forensic mental health and substance use assessment of children and adolescents with open status or delinquency petitions, including some proportion of youth involved in drug court. The court clinic population includes youth court-ordered by Rhode Island Family Court (RIFC) judges to receive a comprehensive mental health and/or dual diagnosis evaluation.  In addition to conducting comprehensive mental health evaluations (that include both youth and caregiver), trainees may also have the experience of performing emergency (acute risk) assessments, as well as participating in consultations to the bench. The emphasis of training is on learning procedures of evidence-based forensic mental health and dual diagnosis assessment and writing forensic behavioral health reports, as well as providing testimony related to submitted forensic reports and clinical consultations.  Clinical psychology residents will participate in and receive supervision in all aspects of the juvenile court clinic services.  Clinical psychology residents gain experience working collaboratively with a multidisciplinary treatment team that includes case managers, social workers, psychologists, judges, probation, and child welfare workers.

Minor Rotations

The clinical psychology resident will complete two minor rotations for 12-months. 

Rhode Island Training School (Juvenile Detention) Rotation (12-months 1 half day)

Faculty Supervisor(s):  Katie Affleck, PhD, and Elizabeth Lowenhaupt, MD
Description: In the Juvenile Detention rotation, the clinical psychology resident has the opportunity to develop competency in assessment, treatment, and consultation with detained (pre-adjudicated) and incarcerated (post-adjudicated) youth who have serious emotional, behavioral, and developmental challenges. The youth (ranging in age from 12-19 years old) reside in the Rhode Island Training School, the state’s sole juvenile detention facility, in two separate facilities (one for detention and one for post-adjudicated youth).  The emphasis of training is on learning and implementing evidence-based substance use and dual diagnosis individual, group, and family-based treatment, as well as learning and conducting evidence-based forensic substance abuse and dual diagnosis assessment for juvenile detainees.  

Clinical psychology residents may also serve as consultants to the RI Training School staff as assessments are submitted and interventions are implemented. Clinical psychology residents will participate in and receive supervision (individual and group) in all aspects of the juvenile detention services. Clinical psychology residents gain experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary treatment teams that include psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, juvenile program workers, probation officers, child welfare case workers, judges, correctional administrators, and special education teachers.

Adolescent Inpatient Unit Rotation (12-months 1 half day)

Faculty Supervisor(s): Katie Affleck, PhD
Description: The clinical psychology resident spends one morning each week on the adolescent inpatient unit which serves youth ages 11-18 who are hospitalized for severe mental health presentations. The resident conducts diagnostic assessments and provides DBT/CBT groups.