Leadership in Clinical Care Program

Training Programs at University of Massachusetts Medical School campuses

Clinical trainees in the departments of pediatrics, family medicine, child psychiatry, nursing and the combined medicine/pediatrics programs spend up to a month on rotation with the Developmental and Behavioral pediatrics and child psychiatry faculty.  Trainees of these programs observe child and family evaluations and interventions in the Developmental and Behavioral pediatric clinics and the University of Massachusetts Early Intervention program and attend formal didactic sessions on specific issues related to diagnosis and treatment, family-centered care, community services, the educational system and state and federal policies that affect care.

The LEND Program has created or collaborated in the development of several interdisciplinary clinical programs that were previously unavailable to families.  These include the following:

  • LEND faculty provide regular consultation in developmental pediatrics to the Program for School Aged Children within the Department of Family Medicine. Pediatric and Family Medicine residents as well as post-doctoral psychology trainees rotate through this clinic.
  • LEND faculty provide services and were instrumental in obtaining the funding to create an Autism Clinic for children 6 years of age and under in the Department of Pediatrics, where children are evaluated by a pediatrician, psychologist, and a family resource coordinator.
  • The ADHD consultation clinic was developed by Dr. Kathleen Braden, Director of the LEND program, to evaluate children ages 5-12 years for the presence of Attention Deficit Disorder. Clincial trainees rotating through this clinic learn of both the medical and non-medical evaluations and interventions used with children with this disorder.
  • The Infant-Toddler Clinic sees children between the ages of 0-3 years who were premature infants and/or where there is some concern about developmental delay. Closely aligned with the Worcester Early Intervention programs, this clinic provides diagnostic services for families and works with residents and medical students in the early identification of developmental problems.
  • The Preschool Clinic evaluates children ages 3-6 yrs., assessing their developmental status and needs.  Residents attending this clinic have the opportunity to see how children with developmental disorders evolve over time and the challenges families face as these changes occur.
  • Other clinical experiences available during this rotation include the Growth and Nutrition Clinic, the Pediatric Psychology Clinic, the Toileting Clinic and the Child Psychiatry Clinic.

Clinical Training Partnership

The Shriver Center has forged an alliance with the Center for Children with Special Needs (CCSN)at the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, MA to conduct comprehensive interdisciplinary evaluations for children with special needs and their families and to serve as a clinical training site for interdisciplinary learners. The CCSN features a comprehensive training program that is thematically organized. In addition to providing discipline-specific clinical services, trainees attend weekly seminars devoted to a particular topic or issue, have opportunities to observe and participate in clinical encounters related to the topic, and take relevant weekly field-trips to community-based schools and programs that are illustrative of the chosen topic.

Clinical/Interdisciplinary Training Competencies