Penfield’s Behavior Clinic identifies young children with significant emotional and behavior problems and works with their families to prevent these behaviors from becoming more serious and long term. The goal is to provide parents with new skills in their homes, to reduce problem behaviors and promote positive behaviors. Begun as a pilot project in September 2003 at the request of Penfield staff and parents, the Behavior Clinic is a collaborative effort between Marquette University and Penfield Children’s Center.
In 2006, 87 children under five years of age were referred for aggression, serious tantrums, oppositional behavior, property destruction, hyperactivity, self-injury, separation anxiety and autistic-like behaviors. Seventy-four percent of these children also had significant developmental delays. In 2007, we’re projecting to serve 100 children and provide 1,000 in-home treatment sessions.
At the conclusion of treatment, 83% of the children who received a formal psychiatric diagnosis at intake no longer met the criteria for the diagnosis. These results substantiate that the earlier behavior difficulties are addressed, the better the chance of preventing more serious problems from developing when they become more difficult and costly to manage.
Mental health services for young children are extremely limited in Milwaukee County, especially for families with little or no health insurance coverage. Because 90% of the families participating in the program are low income, services are free of charge to families. The operating expenses for the Behavior Clinic are underwritten entirely by charitable donations from foundations, corporations and individuals in the community.
For information regarding the Behavior Clinic
please call:
414-345-6351 |
|
