NICU Family Psychosocial/Mental Health Service

The NICU Family Psychosocial Health provides family based mental health services for parents of the infants who must spend time in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).  Referrals are made by the social workers in the NICU. Mental Health services are available during the nursery stay to provide psychiatric, developmental, and behavioral assessment, consultation and intervention for parents.  An additional focus of the program is on facilitating parent–infant relationships and parental coping and adjustment.  The program supports families and prepares them to take home infants who have spent time in the nursery by helping address their concerns.  The service also provides additional support to parents with psychiatric or substance use conditions that might interfere with the caretaking of their infant.

Our program specializes in:

• Outpatient mental health services provided to caregivers while their infant is in the NICU. 
• Services address parental adjustment issues, depression and anxiety related to the stress of having an infant born prematurely with medical complications. 
• Services also provide consultation and support to parents with psychiatric conditions that interfere with caretaking, nurturing, or interactions with their infant.

Who do we serve?

Parents with infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Nurseries who are referred by NICU social work staff for difficulties related to adjustment problems, anxiety and depression connected with the birth of their preterm infant or chronic psychiatric conditions that affect the relationship with their infant.

Clinical Staff:

            Amy Salisbury, PhD, PMH, CNS-BC
            Katheleen Hawes, PhD, PMH, CNS-BC

For more information, call (401) 274-1122 ext. 8935