At the YCS Institute for Infant & Preschool Mental Health (Institute), we believe every child deserves a strong start in life. Through our specialized training, clinical services, and outreach efforts, we are dedicated to ensuring that infants, young children, and families receive the support they need to thrive.
Our Mission
We are committed to advancing the field of infant and early childhood mental health through a unique integration of clinical services, training, consultation, and research. Our goal is to support and strengthen parent-child relationships, fostering healthy emotional, social, and cognitive development in young children.
We cherish the human spirit and the vast potential inherent in every infant and young child by nurturing the critical connections between parents and children.
Our History
Since its founding in Fall 2000, the YCS Institute has been pioneering infant mental health as New Jersey’s first licensed clinic dedicated to this specialty. With a focus on infancy and early childhood, the Institute provides clinical services, training, and consultation aimed at supporting young children, their families, and the professionals who serve them. Our relationship-based attachment model ensures that each infant and caregiver receives the specialized care they deserve.
Learn more about the Helen May Strauss Outpatient Clinics
Our Services
We provide comprehensive mental health services for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their caregivers, including:
- Infant and Parent Relationship Assessments
- Child Psychiatric Evaluation & Medication Assessments
- Child Play Psychotherapy
- Infant-Parent Group Psychotherapy
- Parent Individual Psychotherapy
- Developmental & Parental Guidance
- Comprehensive Autism Screenings & DIR Floortime Therapy
Our services are offered in the community and through Dr. Helen May Strauss (HMS) clinics, two licensed outpatient settings dedicated to serving children and families ages 0-21. We are proud to be a Medicaid-approved provider and receive funding through state and private grants. We are committed to excellence, as demonstrated by:
- Expert Multidisciplinary Team – Psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and early childhood specialists
- Evidence-Based Interventions – Relationship-based therapy, play therapy, and DIRFloortime approaches
- Strong Community Partnerships – Working with hospitals, schools, child protective services, and more
- Commitment to Equity & Access – Serving diverse families facing systemic barriers to care
Internship & Training Opportunities
The YCS Institute’s Training and Consultation Division offers a year-long, APA-accredited doctoral internship for advanced candidates in mental health and related fields. YCS is proud to operate the only APA-accredited doctoral internship in New Jersey specializing in Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) within a community-based organization. This distinction reflects our deep commitment to early relational health and to preparing the next generation of clinicians to serve diverse, high-need populations in community settings.
Interns work alongside licensed clinicians, gaining hands-on experience in:
- Conducting intakes, assessments, and treatment planning
- Providing therapy to infants, young children, and their caregivers
- Leading and co-facilitating mother-baby and social skills groups
- Performing psychological and developmental evaluations for clients ages 0-21
- Engaging with child protective services, schools, and court systems
Interns receive extensive training, case conferences, didactic seminars, and peer supervision to develop expertise in early childhood mental health.
For more information, or to apply for an internship, click here: https://www.ycs.org/index.php/internship-for-pre-doctoral-students/
