UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland
Center for Child Protection
The following is a partial list of departments providing services to special needs children and families:
Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic
The Behavioral Pediatrics Clinic at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland offers behavioral evaluations and outpatient therapy services for children throughout the Bay Area. Because behavioral problems in children don’t come with a one-size-fits-all diagnosis, we’re careful to create personalized treatment plans in all of our evaluations and recommendations. Whether the cause is medical, situational, or trauma-based, our multidisciplinary team will personalize a care plan that fits your lifestyle and family environment.
Camp Winning Hands
Camp Winning Hands is an overnight camping experience for children with congenital hand and upper limb differences, and provides an opportunity for play and exploring in a safe environment. Activities are organized by the pediatric hand teams at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and Shriners Hospitals for Children—Northern California. The Taylor Family Foundation hosts the camp in Livermore, Calif.
Child Development Center
The Child Development Center at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland provides evaluation, treatment, and diagnostic and referral services for newborn infants, children, and young adults up to age 20. By focusing our attention on children who have or are at risk for developmental delays, developmental disabilities, learning disorders, or behavioral problems, we’re able to provide you with support and education in an environment that fosters whole child wellness.
Cystic Fibrosis Program
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland’s nationally-certified Cystic Fibrosis Program provides screening and comprehensive care to newborns, infants, and children. We’re certified for cystic fibrosis care both nationally, through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and at the state level through California Children’s Services (CSS). We offer comprehensive diagnosis and treatment services, including access to pediatric specialists to help with the medical problems that may develop in cystic fibrosis patients. We work closely with the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center at San Francisco’s California Pacific Medical Center and lung transplant centers in the Bay Area. Children’s Hospital is also a site for advanced pulmonary research.
Dentistry
Pediatric Dentistry at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland takes many different forms. Some children require dental specialists for intensive reconstruction work in our Craniofacial Center. For disorders like tuberous sclerosis, a dentist is part of a comprehensive team that ensures ongoing coordination of care. No matter what your situation, our Dentistry Department is dedicated to the oral health of children facing medically-complex disorders and developmental challenges, and to providing services in both a clinical setting and in the operating room.
Developmental Playgroups Program
The Developmental Playgroups Program is a community-based intervention that provides parent–child playgroups to encourage the healthy development of infants and young children who are at risk for developmental delays. All groups incorporate developmentally rich play activities with parent support and education. Groups are located in Oakland and South Hayward. Most of the groups are composed predominantly of Latino families and are offered in Spanish
Early Childhood Mental Health
The Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) Program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland provides a range of specialized mental health services for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families. As part of the overseeing Early Intervention Services (EIS) Department, the ECMH Program provides additional facets of care to help area families beyond the medical setting.
Early Intervention Services
Infants and young children with developmental, social-emotional, and medically-related vulnerabilities need extra care from the beginning. Early Intervention Services (EIS) provides therapeutic intervention, child development services, and family support services for infants and young children (ages 0–6) with emerging developmental, medical, and social–emotional delays. EIS services are family-centered and are predominantly delivered in the home, although group sessions are offered at community-based locations. With the right intervention at the start, we can put your entire family on the path to positive growth and relationships.
Epilepsy Clinic
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland provides one of the Bay Area’s most comprehensive treatment centers for the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric epilepsy. The team of experts employed at our nationally-recognized Epilepsy Clinic regularly collaborate with our Neurosurgery Department to evaluate and manage the care of children with epilepsy, whether that means adopting a ketogenic diet treatment for intractable epilepsy or turning to one of the many advanced surgical interventions available for kids today.
Family Resource & Information Center
The Family Resource & Information Center supports patients and families by providing resources to help cope with hospitalization, health and condition information, and local-area information. Support includes referral support, access to books and magazines, educational pamphlets, Internet access, a fax, a copier, and respite–all provided in a comfortable and welcoming environment.
Hearing & Speech
Children’s Hearing & Speech Center provides diagnostic and treatment services for children with or at risk for hearing loss, speech, language, and developmental delays. Our licensed pediatric audiology specialists work with speech-language pathologists and developmental specialists to enable children with hearing loss to achieve their fullest potential. Children’s pediatric speech therapists and speech pathologists have specialized training to provide speech-language therapy to toddlers and children with language delays and disorders, apraxia, autism, articulation, voice, and stuttering disorders. Our Cochlear Implant Program offers an expert team of Children’s pediatric sub-specialists working together to provide the highest quality care.
Rett Syndrome Clinic
Rett Syndrome is a debilitating neurological disorder diagnosed almost exclusively in girls and occurring in one of every 10,000 female births in the United States. It’s rare enough that it can be a real challenge to find quality, family-focused healthcare options in your area. At UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, we’re proud to house Katie’s Clinic for Rett Syndrome, a specialty clinic that is one of the few places in the United States that specializes in diagnosis and comprehensive care for girls and young women with Rett Syndrome.
Mental Health & Child Development
At UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, our Division of Mental Health & Child Development is the result of the joint effort of multiple disciplines, drawing together the resources and expertise of multiple hospital programs. We’re dedicated to helping children and youth who are struggling with emotional and mental health challenges, developmental disabilities, or behavioral problems by creating a safe and comfortable environment that puts entire families at ease. Because we know that behavioral challenges impact the whole family, we work in collaboration with your health provider and other community resources
Music Therapy
The Jared Kurtin Music Therapy Program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland offers a one-of-a-kind chance for children to experience the healing properties—and simple joys—of music. Research shows that in a hospital setting, music therapy can be beneficial in managing pain, lowering rates of depression, increasing bodily movement, easing muscle tension, and calming patients when they feel distressed. Because we rely on clinical, evidence-based intervention that supports our patients’ physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being, we consider our Music Therapy Program to be an integrated and important part of the healing process.
Occupational Therapy
The Occupational Therapy Department specializes in treating infants with feeding disorders and children whose development or function has been delayed or interrupted, as a result of medical, neurodevelopmental, musculoskeletal, or behavioral reasons. Children’s pediatirc occupational therapists work with each child to determine their needs and how to best address them. Our therapists have extensive experience evaluating children who have problems using their muscles to eat, swallow, speak, draw or write (fine motor skills).
Peacock Cerebral Palsy & Movement Disorders Center
The Peacock Cerebral Palsy & Movement Disorders Center is Northern California’s leader in the treatment of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and spasticity. Led by a team of nationally-recognized specialists and pioneers in rhizotomy treatment, our spasticity program is the largest and most comprehensive in the region. The Center brings together developmental experts from different specialties including neurosurgery, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, orthotics, and prosthetics to evaluate and treat your child.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland is provided through the inpatient and outpatient programs at the Children’s Oakland Rehabilitation Center. As a specialty pediatric center we are uniquely able to provide a multidisciplinary approach to helping children who are recovering from severe injuries or illnesses. We place special emphasis on parent and caretaker training to help our patients reintegrate into their homes and function in their communities. Our team is supported by clinical nurses who are dedicated to caring for children with specialized medical needs like tracheostomy,ventilator, and parenteral or enteral feedings.
Speech & Language Therapy Clinic
The Speech & Language Clinic at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland is the Bay Area’s leading provider of diagnosis and treatment for pediatric speech impediments, hearing disorders, and other communication problems in children. Children’s pediatric speech pathologists have specialized training to provide speech therapy and language therapy to toddlers, preschool and school aged children. Speech Therapy and Language services in San Ramon and Walnut Creek draw on a team of experts from several areas of medicine to provide services for children with language delays and disorders, apraxia, autism, articulation disorders, voice disorders and stuttering disorders.
Support and Healing for the Whole Family
- Studies show that play, when used as a healing tool, can enhance the normal growth and development of infants, children, and youth.
- At UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, we include siblings and families in this “process of play.” We offer sibling involvement and education, a NICU sibling support group, the incorporation of family culture into therapeutic activities, and other services that ensure that every member of the family benefits from the hospital experience.
Primary Care Programs that Cater to Bay Area Communities
We serve the health needs of a community with a rich variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. To meet our patients’ diverse needs, our primary care medical home offers specialized clinics including:
Complex Care Clinic
Teen Clinic
Asthma Clinic
Encore Medical Clinic (for children at risk for homelessness)
Family Outreach & Support Clinic (for children in foster care)
International Clinic
Chasing Health Outcomes Clinic (for over and underweight children)
Integrated Behavioral Health
Psychiatry
Down Syndrome Clinic
Psychiatry
The Psychiatry Department at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland focuses on whole-child wellness. We provide specialized psychiatric services to children in the Bay Area; kids brought to the hospital’s emergency room with behavioral emergencies and pediatric inpatients who are currently under our care. Our experienced clinical staff includes psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and psychiatric nurse practitioners, all of whom work closely together in collaborative teams. We see youth age 5-18 for diagnostic evaluations, individual and family therapy, crisis intervention, and psychopharmacological management of psychiatric conditions.