Lourie Center for Children's Social and Emotional Wellness

Dedicated to helping Infants, Young Children, and their families achieve a healthy emotional start in life, the Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children, Inc. d/b/a Lourie Center for Children's social and emotional wellness, is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to improve the social and emotional health of Young Children and families through prevention, early intervention, education, and research. The Lourie Center is a nationally recognized pioneer and leader in the field of early childhood mental health and intervention. Services are designed to strengthen families and help Young Children acquire the social and emotional competencies needed for success in school and life.continues on schedule o.in 1982, the Lourie Center was incorporated as a non-profit agency, following a successful six-year clinical research project funded by the national institute of mental health. With dr. stanley i. greenspan, dr. t. berry brazelton and dr. Reginald S. Lourie, this study demonstrated the value of early identification and intervention to enable Young Children to reach their full potential. Since its beginnings, this community-based Center has grown from a staff of seven to a staff of over 180 full-time, part-time, and contracted professionals who are certified and licensed specialists in the following areas: child psychiatry, clinical psychology, clinical social work, special education, early childhood education, infant and early childhood development. The Center's prevention and early intervention work is based on the knowledge that the early years of life are critical in every child's development, captured in words: "the first years of a child's life last forever!" In 1990, the Center was re-named to provide a living tribute to its beloved co-founder, the late dr. Reginald S. Lourie. In 2006, the Center became a member of adventist healthcare, Inc., a not-for-profit, faith-based healthcare organization. The membership provides the Center with vital organizational, financial, and other business resources that strengthen our ability to achieve our mission while maintaining our separate corporate status, mission, and unique identity. The Lourie Center's four core programs include the therapeutic nursery program; the head start program; the parent-child clinical services program; and the Lourie Center school. The Lourie Center participates in several public-private partnerships, including the montgomery county Infants and toddlers program and child welfare services. Each program has returned primarily to in-person education and clinical care, with the outpatient clinical services program still offering a hybrid model to provide easier access to care for working parents. Head start program (birth to five) is a federally funded program which offers child and family development services for approximately 352 low-income and minority families with Children up to three years of age and pregnant women, from montgomery and prince george's counties, through parent-child socialization groups and weekly home visits. This kindergarten readiness program focuses on helping parents embrace their role of their Children's "first teacher." Staff also provides critical family support services through education and linking families to community resources, such as health practitioners, quality childcare providers, and a host of social services. This program also has a mandated wait list and there are many more families that need this life-changing service. This program also serves a diverse population with many new immigrants to the country. The therapeutic nursery program is one of the only such program licensed by the state of Maryland to provide a mental health and early educational program for up to 36 pre-school Children from montgomery and prince george's counties with severe social-emotional and behavioral problems, which put them at risk for school failure. Children display challenges that include: unsafe behaviors, self-harming, aggression, anxiety, depression, trauma, abuse and neglect, and severe attention deficit, sensory integration disorder, and attachment disorders. As a kindergarten-readiness program, the tnp consists of a multidisciplinary team of teachers, social workers, psychologist, and psychiatrist to support the Children's ability to enter mainstream kindergarten and to provide family support to these most vulnerable Children and families. The tnp staff also provides family support services that include monthly parent groups, crisis intervention, and ongoing therapeutic supports throughout the year. The staff works very closely with the parent/guardians and families to support positive relationships, safe homes, and success in school for the Children. Outcome research shows a near 80% success rate for entry into typical kindergarten and continued learning and social-emotional health through 2nd grade.the Lourie Center school is a certified non-public day school licensed by the Maryland state department of education (msde). It serves up to 50 Children with complex emotional and developmental problems, from age four through fifth grade. Children are placed at the Lourie Center school through the individual education plan process from the board of education of montgomery and prince george's counties, arlington county, the city of alexandria, and the district of columbia. Children often display extremes in behavior and emotional expression that includes suicidal/homicidal actions, mood disorders, negative peer interactions, and traumatized reactions (flight, fight, or freeze responses). Children receive comprehensive therapeutic intervention and educational instruction that includes individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy to help the Children stabilize their emotional and behavioral expression and become available for learning in a mainstream classroom.the parent-child clinical services program is licensed outpatient mental health Center that serves the dc metropolitan area and provides outpatient assessment and treatment for over 220 Children and their over 330 family members each year from birth through age twelve who have social-emotional, behavioral problems, and/or developmental delays. The Lourie Center in the community: the Center participates in several public-private partnerships throughout the national capitol area, including child welfare services in the district and several counties in Maryland; local and national colleges and universities to provide training programs; and with montgomery county's Infants and toddlers program for whom we provide thirty-five mental health and family development specialists and reach over 5,000 Children each year. The Lourie Center as professional training site:every year, in partnership with several local and national colleges and universities, the Lourie Center provides comprehensive year-long training programs and summer internships in the areas of: psychiatry, psychology, social work, education, and early childhood development. Trainees fulfill their academic requirements while simultaneously providing services under supervision at the Center. The Lourie Center's training program supports the Center's mission so well and ensures that the next generation's specialists in early childhood mental health, education, and intervention will be in the forefront of meeting the needs of Children and families. The Lourie Center as consultants: national and international reach:the Lourie Center is a national model of best practice in integrating social and emotional development and early childhood education of Children at high-risk for school failure and their families. As a result, the Lourie Center is often approached and asked to provide technical assistance and training for programs throughout the country. These programs include trainings such as: increasing positive parent-child relationships and healthy adjustment through the lifespan, identifying, and intervening to reduce impact of abuse and neglect on Children and adults, and evidence-based models of infant and early childhood mental health. The Lourie Center is part of the national child traumatic stress network.