Study expands access to childhood anxiety treatment in Newport County
A pioneering partnership between Brown University Health’s Pediatric Anxiety Research Center (PARC) and Rhode Island community health centers is expanding access to care for children struggling with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Through the five-year IMPACT Rhode Island study, researchers are testing approaches that can make high-quality mental health treatment easier for families to obtain, right in their own communities.
Newport Mental Health is proud to be one of the sites selected for the study, making it available to children and families across Newport County. The study delivers exposure-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a highly effective evidence-based approach to treating children with anxiety and OCD. “It’s phenomenal that we’re able to partner with Brown University Health on this study and expand access to exposure therapy in Newport County,” says Stephanie Lujan Rickerman, Newport Mental Health’s division director of children’s services. “For many families a weekly drive to Bradley Hospital in Providence, where PARC is located, can be a logistical and emotional hurdle, and this study means the services are much more accessible.” Clinicians at Newport Mental Health say the demand for child anxiety services in Newport County has surged, and the severity of symptoms has grown along with it. “The need is just so high,” says Jill McLeish, director of children’s services. “Our intakes are coming in with higher acuity than ever before.” “Anxiety, or worries and fears, takes a lot of different forms,” said Rickerman. “School avoidance, food avoidances, experience avoidances.
Maybe kids are afraid to go to the grocery store or won’t participate in a family activity or will only eat preferred foods.” Some children experience generalized, day-to-day worry; others are living with more complex diagnoses like obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorders, or the effects of significant trauma. Worries leading to school avoidance can have serious consequences.
School referrals to Newport Mental Health are increasing, each highlighting how overwhelmed students feel. “It’s peer relations, it’s behavioral problems, it’s anxiety disorders, it’s depression,” McLeish said about the sources of anxiety. “We see kids who are struggling to get to school, or engage with friends,” says Ashley Foster, therapist for Children’s Services. “These are often children navigating complex home lives.” Children accepted into the study will be randomly assigned one of three delivery formats: telehealth only; in-person home/community-based treatment; or a flexible hybrid model that combines telehealth and in-person. The study focuses on the delivery format of the treatment, and measures each format’s effect on improving access to services. “We know that anxiety disorders are the most common mental health challenges children face, and they can have a serious impact on every area of a child’s life.
This study is designed to not only identify which delivery methods work best, but also to help ensure all families – regardless of background – can access high-quality, evidence-based care,” said Jennifer Freeman, PhD, director of PARC at Bradley Hospital and professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University. Freeman is also the Principal Investigator on this study. “It’s really about building resilience,” Foster explains.
She says exposure therapy starts small. “Let’s say, I have a child who’s agoraphobic, who has a hard time going out in the community, leaving the house. First, we might go for a walk around the house.” The challenges gradually increase as the child becomes more comfortable. “Once something feels easy, we move to the next step,” she said. “Recovery isn’t linear, so we keep working with them.” Through IMPACT RI, clinicians hope to intervene earlier, and more effectively, by meeting the child where the anxiety occurs. “We’ll be able to deliver exposure therapy in the places where it causes kids to avoid experiences,” Rickerman says. “For school avoidance, maybe it’s the carpool line, or maybe it’s in the home getting into the car… we’re excited to be able to partner with the families and schools in that way.” For the study, a Newport Mental Health therapist will create a treatment plan and partner with a specially exposure trained coach to delivery weekly treatment to the child.
For Newport Mental Health, the partnership has the added benefit of strengthening the workforce in addition to expanding services. “What’s so amazing,” Rickerman said, “is that our staff are being trained and coached by psychologists who are Brown faculty.” Each NMH therapist receives weekly supervision with a member of the PARC team, including a discussion of challenging cases. Foster works with Joshua Kemp, PhD, a staff psychologist at the Pediatric Anxiety Research Center. “He’s fantastic,” she says. “His training is in harm-based OCD, and many of my clients struggle with suicidality or self-harm.
It’s helpful to bring cases to him; he understands the nuances and can suggest what to try and how much to push.” “Bradley’s PARC program is one of a kind,” agrees McLeish. “But not all of our children can get to the services provided in Providence. Training our clinicians helps close the gap.” Newport Mental Health is currently accepting children ages 5 to 18 for the study.
The study duration for each child is up to six months of weekly sessions: one with the primary therapist each month and three with the exposure coach. To find out if your child is eligible, families can visit Newport Mental Health’s access center, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There is an initial assessment with Newport Mental Health, followed by a second research assessment with the PARC team. Our staff will guide you through the intake process.
If your child does not meet the criteria for the study, they can still receive treatment from Newport Mental Health. Additionally, support is available after the study ends.
Rickerman noted, “Once the actual exposure therapy study portion is over, you can continue to receive services if needed.” IMPACT RI is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. While families will be compensated for completing study-related surveys, the therapy itself is billed through insurance.
And, importantly, participation isn’t limited by ability to pay. “Because we’re a CCBHC, Newport Mental Health can take people regardless of the ability to pay,” Rickerman says. “So come. Come in and let us help your child.” If you have questions about the PARC study, please call Newport Mental Health at 401-846-1213 and select Option 5.
You can learn more online atparcanxiety.org. Dayna Gladstein is President & CEO of Newport Mental Health in Middletown.
Peace of Mind, which is co-written with Kristan McClintock, appears monthly in The Newport Daily News and online at newportri.com. Newport Mental Health is the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) that provides mental health and substance use treatment to those who live, work, and study in Newport County, regardless of their income, insurance, or ability to pay.
Newport Mental Health is a 501(c)3, charitable nonprofit and offers programs and services for children and adults; immediate access to care is available by calling 401-846-1213 option 1. For more information, please visit newportmentalhealth.org