Charlottesville, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – UVA Health is set to open its new Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Health Clinic for children at Riverside on December 20th. The clinic aims to address the growing mental health crisis among children and adolescents by offering comprehensive services for neurodevelopmental disorders and behavioral health issues. 

Dr. Laura Shaffer, the clinic’s behavioral health clinical director, expressed enthusiasm for the long-awaited opening. “We started planning this before the pandemic when the child and adolescent mental health crisis was rising quickly, and it’s only gotten worse since then,” said Dr. Shaffer. 

Dr. Beth Davis, developmental pediatrician and neurodevelopmental clinic director, highlighted the interdisciplinary approach of the clinic. “The team that offers the services in itself is interdisciplinary… there will be psychologists… there’ll be developmental pediatricians … there’ll be licensed clinical social workers, educational consultants, child psychiatry, family navigators. So providing a wraparound kind of service in a clinical setting is really something that we all hope for, but we don’t always get when we see children with significant developmental disabilities,” said Dr. Davis. 

Families interested in accessing services are encouraged to seek referrals through their pediatricians or UVA subspecialists. Dr. Davis emphasized the clinic’s goal to support both medical and educational needs: “So it’s not just a, you know, medical diagnosis and you’re out the door. It there really is a component of care coordination that can happen.” 

The clinic’s opening marks a significant milestone in addressing critical healthcare gaps, offering hope to countless families in the region. 

Listen here for the full conversation: