The infant and preschool psychiatry clinic: A model of evaluation and treatment

The Infant and Preschool Psychiatry Clinic is an outpatient, subspecialty clinic that serves young children with significant emotional and behavioral problems, in addition to disorders of learning and language. The clinic provides for the psychiatric needs of young children, birth to 5 years of age, and their families. The mission of the clinic is to (1) provide comprehensive diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and advocacy services by an interdisciplinary team; (2) use systematic data collection for empirical research; and (3) provide training in infant psychiatry. The clinic's evaluation process and wide-ranging treatment services are described in detail, along with two clinical case examples that help to illustrate the integration of varied services. Additionally, a critique of the clinic's strengths and weaknesses is presented. © 1997 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health