THIS AMAZING PROGRAM OFFERS PARENTS MENTAL HEALTH CHECKUPS DURING ROUTINE CHILD VISITS

It’s your baby’s well-child checkup and things are going smoothly. Your baby has been weighed, the doctor has listened to her heart and lungs, peeked in her ears and throat, and has officially given her a clean bill of health. You’re preparing to gather up your diaper bag to leave when the doctor turns to you and asks, “I see your baby isn’t sleeping very well. How are you doing with that?”
                                               

You might be taken aback for a moment, but when you stop to think about it, you might realize that you’re actually not doing very well … at all. Having a medical professional inquire about your mental health provides you with the opportunity to open up about symptoms you’ve been experiencing, so you can get the help you need.

Dr. Rachel Briggs, director of pediatric behavioral services at Montefiore Medical Center and the associate professor of pediatric psychiatry of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, tells Babble that the way the program works at their offices is simple:

Before a child’s appointment, caregivers are given a health assessment screening questionnaire that they usually fill out in the waiting room. The pediatrician will then review the screening tool, and based on certain information provided, connect the caregiver with a HealthySteps specialist (usually a social worker, nurse, or psychologist) who can provide further assistance and resources right then and there at the same appointment.

Dr. Briggs adds that there are two basic parts to the program: the first being more preliminary issues, such as sleep disturbances or sibling rivalries, and the second is for families that are more at-risk. For the second leg of the program, a HealthySteps specialist makes a special point to attend every appointment the child has and provides additional screening and assessment tools. Parents can take the American Academy of Pediatrics’ ACEs screening tool to determine their risk level.