“At its core, HealthySteps is about relationships. How does bringing a specialist focused on child development and behavioral health into the pediatric team change what care looks and feels like for families and providers?
You can’t get much done without relationships, right?
Pediatricians have 15 minutes for a well-child visit, during which they’re asked to do everything under the sun, and more. They’re focused primarily on the physical health aspects and the anticipatory guidance that’s recommended. To really get down to the early relational health between the baby and the family sometimes takes a little longer.
If it was easy and there was an instruction manual, that would be a different case. But families are unique, living in unique circumstances. We need to spend the time to actually develop the trusting relationships, hear what families are struggling with and want to focus on, and partner with them in a way that feels authentic and meaningful.”