{"id":1870,"date":"2025-10-05T20:38:53","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T00:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/cidd\/?page_id=1870"},"modified":"2025-10-09T15:12:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T19:12:38","slug":"cidd-collaborative-connections-specialized-support-for-developmentally-complex-youth-served-by-unc-pediatrics-c3y","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/cidd\/cidd-collaborative-connections-specialized-support-for-developmentally-complex-youth-served-by-unc-pediatrics-c3y\/","title":{"rendered":"CIDD Collaborative Connections: Specialized Support for Developmentally Complex Youth Served by UNC Pediatrics (C3Y)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Background<\/h2>\n

The Behavioral Medicine Clinic (BMC) at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) has been seeing behaviorally and medically complex children with Intellectual\/Developmental Disability (IDD) since 2009. The BMC is directed by Robert Christian, MD and Jean Mankowski, PhD. This program provides initial and ongoing psychiatric behavioral consultation\/management to about 75 new cases per year and supports approximately 110 families at any given time.<\/p>\n

The CIDD is North Carolina\u2019s only University Center of Excellence for Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD).\u00a0It has the unique perspective and expertise to perform this work as a part of a nationwide network of centers that seek to address issues and advance research related to the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities. Lastly, CIDD specializes in serving individuals with intellectual and\/or developmental disabilities who may have co-existing behavioral, mental health, or medical health needs.<\/p>\n

Our Program<\/h2>\n

Through the experiences across our team members, we continued to come across gaps in our medical, educational and Medicaid systems where youth with complex medical needs and IDD or youth with autism or IDD and co-occurring behavioral health needs had trouble navigating systems and getting their needs met. Additionally, many of the individuals with autism, physical disabilities or traumatic brain injuries were not eligible for the available Medicaid waiver programs.The CIDD Collaborative Connections: Specialized Support for Developmentally Complex Youth Served by UNC Pediatrics\u202f(C3Y) program started in 2020 to support youth with intellectual and\/or developmental disabilities who also have co-occurring behavioral, mental\/behavioral health or medical complexity and their families.<\/p>\n

\"Who<\/p>\n

Services under C3Y may involve behavioral medication consultation, connection to ongoing psychiatry or behavioral medication support, behavioral consultation, screenings to determine appropriate testing and family navigation services. Referrals can be made into C3Y by UNC Pediatric Neurology, UNC Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, UNC Pediatric Complex Care or the CIDD Behavioral Medicine Clinic. Services for each participant and family may include one or all of the services available in our program. We seek to provide participant and family-centered experience. We meet caregivers where they are and try to match the level of support they need. For some families, we simply provide resources and information. For others, we may walk beside them for a longer period of time connecting to multiple services and resources along the way as the family has the time and capacity to pursue them. We understand that each family\u2019s needs and wants may vary based on cultural norms, their experiences with different government systems and their need to triage accessing support while managing the daily needs of their loved ones. Since its inception, the C3Y program has served almost 400 participants.<\/p>\n

CIDD Collaborative Connections: Specialized Support for Developmentally Complex Youth Served by UNC Pediatrics (C3Y)<\/h2>\n
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\nPsychiatry Support<\/div>\n
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