Lifespan Programs and Clinics for Children and Adolescents

Lifespan brings services to the children of our community in numerous ways:

• The Injury Prevention Center works to reduce injuries in children through community outreach, research and education. The center develops and implements community-based programs, and educates professionals, policymakers and the public about the importance of injury prevention.
• Hasbro Children’s Hospital’s refugee health clinic serves the health needs of refugee children who arrive in Rhode Island from countries throughout the world, providing health examinations and follow-up care that is comprehensive, collaborative and cost-effective.
• Bradley Hospital offers many services to the community including, 24-hour emergency evaluations; support groups for parents and siblings; training for parents, teachers and child care providers; consulting services to school special education departments; training for professionals from across the country in child psychiatry, psychology, social work and related fields; and advocacy for children.
• Sponsored by Bradley Hospital, Parenting Matters is an annual half-day spring conference that features child and behavioral specialists who share their expertise with parents, teachers, social workers, child care providers and others who work with children and teens. The conference includes a renowned keynote speaker, workshops, exhibits, a light breakfast and professional credits. For more information, please call the Lifespan Health Connection at 401-444-4800 or 1-800-927-1230.
• In the fall, Bradley Hospital presents Parenting Matters Workshops, a series of free workshops for parents, professionals, and the community. The two-hour evening programs feature topics such as dealing with bullies, managing difficult behavior, and bipolar disorder and depression in children and teens, and include opportunities to ask questions of a child development professional. These workshops are free and open to the public. Professional credits are available for nurses, teachers, social workers, child care providers and mental health counselors for a fee of $10. For more information, please call the Lifespan Health Connection at 401-444-4800 or 1-800-927-1230.
• CPR and First Aid classes cover the basics of CPR; what an AED is and how to use it; what to do when someone is choking; the signs of heart attack and stroke; and when to call 911. Participants also practice CPR on a manikin and use an automated external defibrillator (AED) training model. For information about this class, please contact Marianne Stepanian at 401-444-8063 or mstepanian@lifespan.org.
• The Safe Sitter program is more than a babysitting course. Safe Sitter advocates for safe childcare, good parenting skills and responsible teens. Instruction for this one-day program for children ages 11 to 14 includes:
  •  Babysitting as a business
  • ­ Managing and preventing injuries
  • Infant and child CPR
  • Care of a choking infant and child
  • Behavior management skills
  • Stages of child development

Sponsored by Hasbro Children’s Hospital and Lifespan Community Health Institute, instructors are enthusiastic and committed to teens. All are certified to teach Safe Sitter. To register for a Safe Sitter class or to bring a Safe Sitter program to your community, call 401-444-8009 or email rzaman@lifespan.org.