Bradley outpatient describes short-term group programs for children with developmental challenges

Dr. Kuzo, a clinician at Bradley’s outpatient department, described three group-based services the clinic offers as an alternative to long waits for individual therapy: an evidence-based parent-training program (referred to in the meeting as the “movie group”), the UCLA PEERS social-skills program for adolescents, and the Unstuck and On Target curriculum focusing on executive function and emotion regulation.

Dr. Kuzo told the committee the groups are a way to reach more families while reducing the clinic’s waiting list for individual therapy. “A lot of them are about coaching either kids or parents, giving them skills that they can then take out and use on their own,” she said. She said the parent-training program typically runs six to eight sessions and emphasizes antecedent supports — steps adults can take to prevent challenging behaviors rather than relying primarily on rewards and consequences.

The UCLA PEERS program, Dr. Kuzo said, is a longer commitment (about 14 sessions) that pairs a teens’ group with a concurrent parent group; the youth sessions include videos, role play and real-world practice such as gym or outdoor activities. “That one turns out to be a place where kids end up feeling really like they found their people,” she said, adding that parents report measurable gains in confidence and social engagement.

Unstuck and On Target, Dr. Kuzo said, is used to teach executive-functioning and emotion-regulation strategies. She described a hybrid delivery in which parents can review online modules and then meet with staff members for half-hour reviews to personalize strategies for each child.

Dr. Kuzo said the clinic sometimes uses individual parent sessions to develop focused plans for families when group timing or content does not match a child’s needs. She noted capacity constraints: the clinic runs groups two or three times a year and cannot offer daily openings for individual therapy, but the groups allow “short-term intervention” and reach more families than individual slots alone.

She also said an East Greenwich outpatient site is scheduled to open an outpatient wing in October (the opening date may shift), which the clinic expects will increase capacity and reduce travel time for families who currently commute from southern parts of the region. Families are placed on a single waiting list and can call the number on Bradley’s flyers to be placed on that list.

Dr. Kuzo listed program suitability and adaptations: the PEERS curriculum was developed for youth with at least low-average language, but can be adapted for students with more significant language needs through repetition and rehearsal; the clinic has run PEERS with middle- and high-school-aged groups and reported positive parent- and child-reported outcomes. She encouraged parents and educators to call Bradley for specifics and said staff will try to match children by age and language level when forming groups.

The clinician also noted practical limits — space and staff availability are the primary constraints on expanding group offerings — and that the clinic tries to stagger group starts so families usually wait only a few months. She urged families to call the number on the flyers or contact Bradley’s outpatient coordination to be added to the waiting list.

The presentation closed with Dr. Kuzo offering to take questions and field calls from parents seeking program details or referrals.