Pediatric Notes

Bridging Forensic and Child Psychiatry

Tanuja Gandhi, MD, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Bradley Hospital, where she brings a unique perspective shaped by her background in forensic psychiatry. While she always intended to work in child psychiatry, Dr. Gandhi first pursued a forensic psychiatry fellowship at Yale, which gave her deeper insight into the connection between childhood mental health and the criminal justice system.

In order to understand situations at the intersection of mental health and the law, “It is important to understand a person’s life story and their childhood experiences,” said Dr. Gandhi. With a passion to get specialized training that hones in on the understanding of children’s mental health problems, she went on to complete her child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center.

As a psychiatrist with Bradley Hospital, Dr. Gandhi works on the children’s inpatient unit with youth who can present in a situation of crisis and would benefit from stabilization and connection with further treatment services. She focusses on involving children and families in treatment together, thus helping families better understand their child’s needs and behaviors . One of the most pressing challenges she sees in her work today is the impact of social media use on children’s mental health, ranging from cyberbullying to body image concerns and premature exposure to mature content.

Beyond her clinical work, Dr. Gandhi co-hosts Mindcast, a podcast featuring Bradley Hospital experts discussing children’s mental health. She is also committed to professional development and community outreach through education and is actively involved in national organizations including the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Gandhi’s dedication to both forensic and child psychiatry helps bridge the gap between early intervention and long-term mental health outcomes, ensuring children and families receive the care they need to thrive.

SafeQuest: A Lifeline for Young People Struggling with Anxiety or Self-Harm

Realizing that a child has an anxiety disorder, mood disorder, or thoughts of self-harm is a challenging moment for physicians and families alike. Finding the right care can be equally overwhelming. The SafeQuest Program at Bradley Hospital provides a crucial bridge, offering adolescents intensive, structured support while longer-term therapies or full-time programs are arranged. 

Led by a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, and behavioral health technicians, SafeQuest is designed to decrease self-harming behaviors, reduce the need for hospitalization, and equip young patients with essential coping skills. The program runs from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and includes individual, group, and family therapy, as well as medication management. 

“For a period of time, they're getting all those services right within one program,” said Gary Regan, LICSW, the clinical director of the SafeQuest and Bradley Hospital’s adolescent partial hospital program. "It's a higher level of care that offers more intensive therapy to help them jump-start their path toward improved safety." 

While committing to 20 hours per week may seem daunting, the virtual format offers flexibility, and the benefits far outweigh the temporary disruption. 

“We're asking patients to invest three to four weeks of their life in order to save their life,” Regan emphasized. “Let’s utilize the time now and get ahead of this before things get worse.” 

Families who participate in SafeQuest report significant improvements. “Once kids invest in the program, they really enjoy it,” said Regan. “Families are incredibly appreciative, and they feel blessed to have had this opportunity.” 

Referring physicians and social workers can direct families to Bradley Hospital for more information. Calling Kids’ Link RI at 1-855-543-5465 will help determine the best path forward for each child. 

Childhood Epilepsy Expert Works to Bridge the Gap in Pediatric Neurology Care

The United States faces a significant shortage of pediatric neurologists, with at least 20% fewer specialists than needed to care for children with epilepsy, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and other neurological conditions. This gap leaves many families struggling to access timely, specialized care. 

Maritza Esther Feliz Cepin, MD, a pediatric neurologist at Hasbro Children’s, is dedicated to ensuring that children in Southeastern New England receive the expert neurological care they need. 

Dr. Feliz Cepin’s passion for pediatric neurology began early in her medical training, driven by a deep fascination with the brain’s complexity. She developed a particular focus on epilepsy, one of the most common neurological conditions in children. 

“My decision to become an epileptologist was driven by the commitment to serve the best and the most I could within the child neurology field,” said Dr. Feliz Cepin. “Seizures are one of the most common pediatric neurological conditions. Managing seizures, addressing challenges associated with them and researching for new therapies, help making a positive difference in the children's and their families’ quality of life.” 

In addition to her clinical expertise, Dr. Feliz Cepin is fluent in both Spanish and English, allowing her to communicate fully with a broader range of patients and families. To better serve the community, she has helped develop a Spanish-speaking neurology and epilepsy clinic at Hasbro Children’s. 

She welcomes collaboration with referring physicians throughout the region to provide comprehensive care for children with neurological disorders. 

“The neurological conditions in the pediatric population are vast with a wide heterogenicity of phenotypes and therapeutic responses, making their recognition and management at times very challenging,” said Dr. Feliz. “At Hasbro Children's, we are always in the best disposition to support colleagues in the community in any question or concerns they may have about the children they care for.” 

For referrals or consultations, Dr. Feliz Cepin encourages providers to reach out to Pediatric Neurology at Hasbro Children’s.

Emergency Room Passport Helps Sickle Cell Patients Receive Timely Care

In 2024, Brown University Health’s Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center introduced an emergency room passport to help patients with sickle cell disease receive timely and appropriate care. This initiative addresses the challenges patients face when seeking treatment in emergency departments, where their pain is often misunderstood or dismissed. 

Sickle cell disease is a serious blood disorder that causes red blood cells to become rigid and crescent-shaped, leading to life-threatening complications such as anemia, stroke, acute chest syndrome, organ damage, infections, avascular necrosis, and ultimately death without proper treatment or follow-up. The pain associated with the disease can be excruciating, yet many patients encounter skepticism or delays in emergency rooms. 

“People living with sickle cell disease are marginalized and very often it is characterized as a black disease when it's not,” said Ethel Omondi, the pediatric sickle cell nurse navigator with Brown University Health's Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. “It is a geographical disease that can affect anybody.” 

Omondi emphasized that while pain is a hallmark of sickle cell disease, patients also struggle with mental health challenges and societal isolation. Many are reluctant to seek emergency care due to the stigma surrounding their condition, often being misjudged as drug seekers or having their pain levels underestimated by medical professionals. 

The passport was created to help patients advocate for themselves and ensure they receive the proper treatment. It includes key details such as the patient’s name, genotype, emergency contacts, contact information for the on-call hematologist, and the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center's patient coordination care team. It also outlines protocols for treating infections and pain in sickle cell patients. Designed for convenience, the passport is small enough to fit in a wallet or pocket. 

Development of the passport began in 2023 with the center’s patient action committee, which initially wrote an open letter to educate medical professionals about sickle cell disease. Their advocacy led to the creation of this tool, designed to help patients navigate emergency care more effectively and reduce delays in receiving critical treatment. 

By equipping patients with this passport, Brown University Health’s Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center aims to improve emergency care experiences, ensuring that sickle cell patients receive the attention and respect they deserve.