From the start children’s health is often measured by physical growth. How many pounds they weigh, how tall they are. But as the medical field now recognizes children’s mental health is equally important.
Still children’s mental health can be overlooked. One of the premier health facilities in the region to help treat children is Adventist HealthCare’s Lourie Center for Children’s Social and Emotional Wellness in Rockville
The Center is a private, nonprofit agency. Its mission is to improve the social and emotional health of young children and their families. The Lourie Center offers programs aimed at prevention, early intervention, education, research, and training.
MCM spoke with Dr. Jimmy Venza who is the executive director of The Lourie Center. He said a person’s mental health evolves throughout their lifetime.
Mental Health at the Very Start of Life
“Mental health is fundamental to who we are as human beings. In the early years, infancy and early childhood, if you can have positive mental health, it can really set you up for healthy development throughout your life. Not to say life is going to be easy and there’s going to be disappointment, sadness, sometimes very rough things happen in life, but support early on really helps. It offers a buttress that helps you overcome adversity,” Venza said.
Mental Health Differences in Children and Adults
Identifying mental health problems in children often can be difficult. Unlike adults who can express themselves with their words, infants, toddlers, and young children often show how they are feeling with their actions.
“Reginald Lourie who was the father of child psychiatry and who founded the Lourie Center more than 40 years ago used to always say babies are communicating with us all the time. Kids tell us their needs but they’re telling them in a different way. They show us through their behavior. That communication can highlight distress, excessive worry, and excessive fears. Those signs and signals are there for the parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers to see,” Venza explained.
He first joined the Lourie Center more than 20 years ago. Venza trained under Lourie when Venza was first starting out his career.
“He was an amazing mentor, and he trained the first generation of child psychiatrists. The Lourie Center had an early childhood mental health training program. I was a beneficiary of that program,” Venza said.
Parents and Teachers Play an Important Role
One important lesson he learned is that parents know their children best; however, teachers also play an important role in a child’s development and well-being.
“All of the research shows the teacher-student relationship is what predicts best learning outcomes for the students. How you facilitate that relationship and help a teacher stay in a positive relationship with a student is what is going to make a difference,” Venza said.
“If there are mental health challenges, they might show up in school. When a child is in pre-school, they are with other children on a regular basis for the first time. If children are struggling with learning or there is a lot of stress in the home that will show up in school, even in an early learning setting. So, if a child enjoyed going out, going on play dates, and being around friends, and suddenly does not want to do those things, that could be a signal something is wrong. If there are sleep changes, or a child is looking to spend more time with a parent at night, and unable to separate that also can be a marker,” Venza added.
Potential Warning Signs
He said it is normal for a child to feel sad, happy or fearful. But problems arise when those feelings happen more intensely and more frequently.
“If they are unable to regulate their own feelings, such as when a child is scared, his or her body shakes. If a child can’t concentrate and do schoolwork or are so sad, they are not getting out of bed, and then a child may be experiencing mental health challenges. When a child does not seem interested in the things they used to love to do such as playing a sport or activity, these are all ways that children signal to us that they need help,” Venza told MCM.
Trauma’s Impact on Children
Children can face trauma in their young lives, and this impacts behavior and mental health. Unfortunately, some children become victims of physical or sexual abuse. According to Venza, difficult parental relationships, divorce and substance abuse can also lead to stress for a child.
“One of the things substance abuse does is it makes the parent unpredictable to their child. Sometimes, the parent can be wonderful, but then they are under the influence, and that can create a different reaction. That really confuses a child, and can make a child very stressed,” Venza said.
Environment and Genetics
As Venza explained, a child’s environment is not the only cause for mental health problems. Genetics also can play a role. A history of depression and anxiety can often be passed on from generation to generation. Venza pointed out when problems begin to occur in a child’s life early intervention can make a difference.
The Lourie Center offers five programs that can help children and families dealing with different challenges.
Head Start Programs
The Early Head Start and Head Start programs are federally funded, community-based programs for low-income families, and pregnant women with children from birth to five years old. The program serves children with disabilities, children in foster care, and families that are homeless. The program tries to foster healthy parent and family engagement, while making sure children develop socially and emotionally. Head Start also aims to make children ready for school. This program currently serves more than 300 children.
Parent-Child Clinical Services
The Lourie Center provides parent-child clinical services geared for children from birth to 12 years old. The clinical services often treat children with a number of challenges including aggressive or disruptive behavior, depression, anxiety or other mood problems, learning difficulties, and problems with eating or sleeping. The Center develops a personalized plan using a wide range of techniques to address a child’s needs. This program serves about 345 children and caregivers. Children can undergo mental health screenings, evaluations, and treatment.
Lourie Center School
The third program is the Lourie Center School in Rockville. The school offers special education and ongoing therapeutic services to children between 4 and 12 years old with disabilities. The school is open 11 months of the year. Teachers provide individualized care. The ratio in the classroom is two students to one teacher. The school serves 30 children and their families.
Therapeutic Nursery Program
The Lourie Center also has a therapeutic nursery program. It treats preschoolers with emotional or behavioral problems that make it difficult for them to learn in a typical pre-school or daycare setting. This program serves 32 children and their families in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
“On average about 80% of the children who come to the program will move into a traditional kindergarten classroom and be successful,” Venza said.
Partnership With The County
Finally, the Lourie Center partners with the County’s Infants and Toddlers Program (MCITP). The program serves 4,000 children from birth to 4 years old. MCITP offers early intervention services to help families support their children’s developmental and special needs.
More Information
People interested in learning more about the Lourie Center can find information here.
