Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology

The Department of Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology (DCPN) is a tertiary paediatric psychology service providing psychological care to the children and families of Perth Children’s Hospital and Neonatology (PCHN).

Medical conditions and injuries can impact the emotional, behavioural, relational, and cognitive wellbeing of a child and their family.

At DCPN we provide sensitive, family-centred, and evidence-based care for infants, children, young people, and parents/carers during their medical journey.

We work together with children, their families, and medical teams in the inpatient and outpatient settings.

DCPN is part of the Allied Health service.

Services we provide

Clinical psychologists and clinical neuropsychologists are:

• Regulated by APRHA and the Psychology Board of Australia.
• Use evidence-based assessment and psychological treatment.
• Require an undergraduate psychology degree and postgraduate specialisation.

DCPN Clinical Psychologists:

• Are specialists in understanding and addressing the emotional, behavioural, and relational concerns associated with a child’s medical condition or treatment.
• Help children and families cope with and adjust to illness, injury, and treatment.
• Help children and families manage feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health concerns related to a child’s medical condition.

DCPN Clinical Neuropsychologists:

• Are specialists in understanding the relationship between the brain and behaviour.
• Work with children who have medical conditions that can affect cognitive skills.
• Help children, young people, and families by assessing a child’s cognitive skills – including attention, learning and memory, and problem-solving.
• Help families, doctors, and teachers understand a child’s cognitive skills to better support them at home and school.

Referrals 

Eligibility

DCPN work with patients who are presenting with emotional, behavioural, relational, and cognitive concerns related to their medical condition, an injury, or treatment.

The service is available to infants, children and young people who are current PCH inpatients, or outpatient under ongoing care of a PCHN medical, surgical, or neonatology consultant.

DCPN also work with parents/carers of eligible infant, children and adolescents, where the goal is to optimise the parent-child relationship and/or family system functioning to support their child’s psychological needs in the context of their medical condition.

DCPN also offer short-term inpatient support to parents/carers in the context of their child’s complex medical presentation.

DCPN is a free service and requires a referral from your child’s PCHN medical team. External referrals are not accepted.