Child
Life and Developmental Services The
department of Child Life and Developmental Services (CLDS)
specializes in understanding how children grow and develop,
and in supporting families to nurture healthy youngsters.
With a comprehensive inpatient program that collaborates with
23 professionals in the outpatient departments, the CLDS succeeds
as a national model.
More than 8,000 children receive
books from Reach Out and Read and nearly 50 people volunteer
as regular readers in the program.
The
Frances L. Loeb Child Protection and Development Center Child abuse has become the leading cause
of trauma for children age 4 and under, more than car accidents,
fires or other accidental causes. The Loeb Center addresses
the unique needs of physically and sexually abused children
in the greater metropolitan area by providing forensic child
abuse evaluation and treatment. more
Reach
Out and Read The mission of Reach Out and Read (ROR)
at Bellevue Hospital Center is to make literacy promotion
a standard part of pediatric primary care, so that children
grow up with books and a love of reading. ROR at Bellevue
celebrated its tenth year anniversary in February. more
Child
and Adolescent Psychiatry
Most children and adolescents hospitalized in psychiatry in
Bellevue Hospital Center have conduct disorders (behavior
which is impossible to control) and are brought here for diagnosis
and evaluation. A typical stay lasts two to three months;
for children who are waiting for foster care placement, the
stay is often nine months to a year. Many youngsters come
from chaotic or disorganized homes and their families have
been unable to provide sufficient structure. A multidisciplinary
team provides a very structured environment with daily school,
regular mealtimes and bedtimes, and responsibilities like
folding clothes. Trips, outings and other recreational activities
provide the children with normalizing experiences.
Children
of Bellevue, Inc. is grateful to the New York Times Company
Foundation for its support of these activities.
Social
Work The Social Work department provides
a variety of services to children and their families. Many children
and adolescents who come to Bellevue Hospital are poor, undocumented
immigrants and may live in crowded and sometimes precarious
living situations. The social workers provide these children
and their families with referrals to community agencies that
can assist them; help them negotiate the health care and educational
systems; intervene in high-risk situations to ensure child safety;
provide individual, family and group supportive counseling;
help children and families adjust to chronic diseases; and provide
special services on a case by case basis through funds from
Children of Bellevue. Social workers work with an interdisciplinary
team to ensure a coordinated and well thought out intervention
for each child cared for by Bellevue Hospital Center.
