St. Jude Research
Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences

Clinical Services

The Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences provides integrated services throughout the care continuum for pediatric patients with catastrophic diseases and their families. Established, empirically supported approaches guide our provision of psychological clinical services.

Our clinical programming ensures a high standard of psychological care for all St. Jude patients, and we lead a number of interdisciplinary programs that facilitate specialized patient care. 

Psychology Clinic

The Psychology Clinic provides a wide range of services to St. Jude patients and their families, including consultation, intervention, and psychological and neuropsychological assessment. Our faculty and staff meet with patients across all inpatient and outpatient settings.

Faculty include licensed pediatric psychologists and neuropsychologists and Master’s level psychological examiners and trainees at all levels, from graduate students through postdoctoral fellows.

In addition to targeted, empirically supported interventions that address emotional and behavioral concerns, supportive care is provided—particularly for patients and families with difficulties adjusting to diagnosis, treatment, relapse/recurrence, and/or end of life. The psychologists work closely with members of the medical and psychosocial teams to ensure that each patient receives the most effective and efficient multidisciplinary care.

Learn more about the Psychology Clinic.

Oncology programs

To support pediatric oncology patients and their families at the highly stressful times of diagnosis and end of therapy, the Department of Psychology provides assessment, intervention, and support at these two medical milestones in a patient’s care.

  1. New Oncology Program in Psychology (NOPP)

    The New Oncology Program in Psychology (NOPP) systematically assesses all new oncology patients for developmental, cognitive, and psychosocial strengths and difficulties. Every newly diagnosed oncology patient at St. Jude completes a two-part visit, including a health and behavior assessment and a cognitive screen. Findings are used to identify those at increased risk who may benefit from tailored psychosocial services. NOPP aims to align St. Jude practice with the Standards for Psychosocial Care for Children with Cancer and Their Families.

    As part of NOPP, all families receive individualized psychoeducation and anticipatory guidance based on identified patient needs and medical diagnosis. Ongoing psychological intervention and other psychosocial services are provided as needed. Baseline cognitive screen results are used to plan follow-up assessment and intervention, ranging from serial screening to individualized, comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. 

    Additionally, results are shared with the St. Jude School Program to inform educational programming while the child receives medical treatment at St. Jude and, in turn, are used to inform school re-entry when the patient is medically able. This approach improves patient access to educational accommodations and services to support academic success. 

    Although this initiative is designed as a clinical service, the Psychology Clinic captures the clinical data in a repository, which is available for investigators interested in answering research questions about cognitive and psychological outcomes in patients with cancer and in cancer survivors via retrospective studies. 

    Supporting faculty

  2. Transition Oncology Program (TOP)

    TOP is an interdisciplinary program designed to meet the Standards for Psychosocial Care for Children with Cancer and Their Families. The program focuses on the needs of patients and families as they near the end of treatment and ensures the continuation and coordination of their care until they enter the After Completion of Therapy (ACT) Clinic. The TOP team meets regularly to coordinate patients’ care across multiple disciplines.

    In the Psychology Clinic, patients seen by the TOP team complete a two-part visit including a health and behavior assessment and a cognitive and academic screen as they prepare to transition off cancer-directed therapy. Their families receive psychoeducation and anticipatory guidance based on individual needs and assessment results.

    Results of cognitive and academic screening guide seamless coordination with the School Program, and school advocacy coordinators utilize written reports to assist with recommendation implementation at the patients’ local schools. Findings from this two-part visit also inform referrals for community services, such as ongoing mental health support and/or additional assessment. 

    Supporting faculty
A flow chart shows the clinical connection between NOPP and TOP

Hematology programs

  1. Sickle Cell Assessment of Neurocognitive Skills (SCANS)

    The Sickle Cell Assessment of Neurocognitive Skills (SCANS) is a clinical program that serially assesses all St. Jude patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Assessments are completed in the Psychology Clinic every four years beginning at age 8, to align with preparations for major academic transitions (i.e., from elementary to middle school, from middle to high school, and from high school to further educational and career decision-making).

    Multiple areas of neurobehavioral functioning are evaluated, including verbal, visual spatial, attention, processing speed, executive functioning, academic, and social-emotional domains. Results from the SCANS assessment, which are detailed in a written report for the family, aid in the development of an education plan, a nursing care plan, and a transitional plan to adult care. 

    When patients and families consent, the clinical data from the SCANS program is included in a large, longitudinal protocol—Sickle Cell Research and Intervention Program (SCCRIP)—intended to collect data on patients with SCD from birth to end of life. The non-therapeutic clinical trial is operated by the Department of Hematology and strives to evaluate health outcomes of patients with SCD. 

    Supporting faculty

  2. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Transition Clinic

    As patients with SCD age out of pediatric care and transition to adult care, it is imperative to maintain treatment continuity. To ensure this continuity, St. Jude collaborates with Methodist University Hospital to help patients with SCD and their families successfully navigate this transition. 

    An experienced team of medical providers, psychologists, social workers, pharmacists, and case managers provide patients and families the education, planning, and transition skill-building necessary to assume responsibility for independent management of SCD treatment as an adult.

    Read more about the St. Jude-Methodist Sickle Cell Disease Transition Clinic. 

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Specialized programs

  1. Early Childhood Clinic (ECC)

    The Early Childhood Clinic serves St. Jude patients younger than 3 years of age. This interdisciplinary hospital-based early intervention program provides integrated prevention and intervention services for our youngest oncology patients and their families.

    The ECC clinically addresses the gaps between known best practices regarding early childhood development and early intervention services while children receive medical treatment for catastrophic diseases. By alleviating restricted access to traditional early intervention programs often experienced by young oncology patients and their families during treatment, the ECC ensures children continue to develop in spite of facing life-threatening illness. 

    Led by Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences Faculty, the hallmark interdisciplinary approach of the ECC is a collaborative effort that spans across Departments such as: 

    The ECC partners with the home state of each patient to identify what they require (e.g., use of a certain assessment measure, report written in a certain format, etc.) to immediately qualify our patients for early intervention services upon return to their home communities following completion of cancer-directed therapy. The ECC then utilizes those measures and procedures to inform ongoing intervention services while at St. Jude. 

    Read more about the ECC in the Spring 2017 issue of St. Jude's magazine, Promise.

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  2. Acute Neurological Injury (ANI)

    By following an interdisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation model, the Acute Neurological Injury (ANI) program strives to improve outcomes for patients with new onset neurological insult that results in cognitive deficits. Led by Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences Faculty, the ANI program is guided by a collaborative endeavor across multiple disciplines, such as:   

    Support for patients who experience acute neurological injury begins with an acute assessment and psychoeducation for the family. Weekly neurorehabilitation sessions, collaborative interactions with the care team, and additional assessments during important transition periods guide a high-quality care program for both the patient and family. 

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Psychosocial Services

Psychosocial Services at St. Jude takes an interdisciplinary approach to provide a comprehensive and highly integrated support network for patients and families. An array of professionals—including psychologists, social workers, chaplains, child life specialists, music therapists, teachers, nurse practitioners, and more—work collaboratively to provide high-quality psychological, social, developmental, and spiritual care for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

Learn more about Psychosocial Services provided by St. Jude.