About Us
The Psychology Service within the Integrated Mental Health
Program of the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) is staffed by
Clinical Psychologists and Neuropsychologists. The Psychology
Service offers specific clinical psychology and neuorpsychology
services to referrers in the hospital and in the community, in
addition to providing services within multidisciplinary settings
such as the Mental Health Service, the Gatehouse Centre, Uncle
Bob's Child Development Centre, School Function Program in the
Centre for Community Child Health, the Developmental Assessment
Centre in the Centre for Child Development and
Rehabilitation. Clinical Psychologists and Neuropsychologists
are trained to comprehensively assess children's cognitive
functioning within a developmental framework. Neuropsychologists
are skilled in the assessment and understanding of the effects of
brain function on the child's cognitive, behavioural and emotional
states.
Clinical Psychologists specialise in the assessment and
understanding of the interaction between cognitive, developmental,
psycho-social and environmental factors on normal and
psychopathological functioning in children, parents and families.
They are also trained in making diagnoses and in a variety of
therapeutic techniques.
What do we
offer?
- Developmental, behavioural, emotional and psychosocial
assessment, to provide an understanding of the presenting problems
and their origins
- Standardised, comprehensive cognitive, neuropsychological, and
educational achievement tests which evaluate intellectual and
learning ability;
- Diagnostic assessment involving structured interviews and/or
rating scales, and/or projective tests in cases where this is
relevant to the child's presentation;
- Short term interventions based on a range of treatment models
and techniques including cognitive behaviour therapy, individual
psychotherapy, family therapy, pain management, parenting skills,
group therapy;
- Secondary and tertiary consultation and liaison to
professionals within the hospital regarding psychological problems
related to children, parents and families;
- Group therapy programmes from time to time.