Dempsey, Allison G. (Associate Professor, Associate Professor, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine)

Behavioral Health Services with High-Risk Infants and Families: Meeting the Needs of Patients, Families, and Providers in Fetal, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Neonatal Follow-Up Settings Dempsey, Allison G. (Associate Professor, Associate Professor, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine)

There are relatively high rates of complications in the fetal and neonatal periods (1 in 33 fetuses are born with birth defects and 1 in 10 births in the US are pre-term). With advances in maternal-fetal care, growing services and life-extending medical innovations in the neonatal period, more
families are presenting to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) and often for longer lengths of time. The growing recognition of mental health needs of families and providers in fetal care centers and NICUs has led to a quickly increasing presence of behavioral health providers in these settings.

Behavioral Health Services with High-Risk Infants and Families is a practical guide for mental health clinicians working in fetal care, NICU, and neonatal follow-up care. The book provides a broad overview of common medical conditions in fetal and NICU settings (e.g., congenital anomalies, premature
birth, hypoxic injury in the perinatal period), prevalence and symptoms of behavioral health challenges, specific considerations for assessment and intervention, and cross-cutting issues to assist the clinician with optimizing behavioral health care integration with mothers, partners, babies and
families. Additionally, information about the provision of psychosocial support and education to staff is also included. The volume represents a comprehensive, practical resource for behavioral health clinicians working with pregnant women, partners, infants, families, and providers in perinatal and
neonatal intensive care settings. The book features de-identified case examples, trauma informed care prompts/scripts, specific questions for assessment and intakes, key medical terms, resource guides, and reference lists. The Appendices include reproducible handouts and worksheets for clinician
use.
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