ENHANCE (Excellence in Health Care for Abused and Neglected Children)

ENHANCE (Excellence iN Health Care for Abused and Neglected ChildrEn) is a nationally recognized multidisciplinary clinic which provides comprehensive health care to children in foster care.

Our focus is in:

• Pediatrics
• Child psychiatry
• Developmental pediatrics
• Social work

ENHANCE was developed as a cooperative venture by the Department of Pediatrics and the Division of Child Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University, and the Onondaga County Department of Social Services to serve the special medical, emotional/behavioral and developmental needs of this vulnerable population of children.

As part of their ongoing health care while in placement, all children seen at the clinic receive:

• Mental health screening consisting of interviews with:
  • Child
  • Foster parent
  • Caseworker
  • Birth parent if available
• Standardized measures of behavioral adjustment

Recommendations for treatment and/or further assessment are based on the results of the screening. A trainee involved with the ENHANCE Clinic will gain experience in diagnostic interviewing, developmental evaluations, and multidisciplinary consultation and will learn a great deal about individual and systemic issues in foster care.