“I got my voice back by my doctor helping me… It feels good being able to speak up for myself.” – Mia
A Year Like No Other
Mia Finds Her Voice
A young girl, unable to speak, finds her voice thanks to expert clinical care from the Child Mind Institute and ongoing support via telehealth during the coronavirus pandemic.
About Mia
Mia Wagner came to the Child Mind Institute after struggling to say a single word at school throughout second grade. She was diagnosed with selective mutism. During the summer and into third grade, Mia received treatment from Dr. Janine Domingues, a clinical psychologist specializing in anxiety and mood disorders. Dr. Domingues met with Mia at the Child Mind Institute and at her school and worked closely with Mia’s teachers and family to teach them skills to support her.
In third grade, Mia spoke and smiled for the first time in school and made a lot of new friends.
Mia’s treatment was made possible by the Child Mind Institute’s financial aid fund, which is supported by generous donors. Today, despite the challenges of starting high school remotely, Mia continues to engage with confidence at school and maintain positive friendships.
At the Child Mind Institute, we provide world-class clinical care to thousands of children from across the country and around the world who, like Mia, need mental health support to reach their full potential. In March, due to the spread of the coronavirus, we temporarily closed our clinical centers, yet as anxiety and fear took hold, mental health care was needed more than ever.
The Child Mind Institute moved quickly to transfer existing patients to telehealth. Additionally, our clinicians began (and continue) hosting webinars and Facebook Lives in English and Spanish, offering support to hundreds of thousands of families and teachers around the country.
Today, our offices are open with new health and safety protocols in place and our clinicians are reaching more and more families through telehealth. As for Mia, she continues to see Dr. Domingues via telehealth every few months to touch base and receive guidance on navigating school, social and family life.
“I have witnessed the impact the Child Mind Institute can have when we reach children and their families with the support they need. We can relieve their pain. We can give parents concrete tools that can make today and the next day better for their children.
Dave Anderson, PhD
Vice President, School and Community Programs
Will you stand with us now in supporting the millions of children and their families who need us?
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Learn More
The Child Mind Institute is an independent, national nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. Our teams work every day to deliver the highest standards of care, advance the science of the developing brain and empower parents, professionals and policymakers to support children when and where they need it most.
We are driven to create a brighter future for our children, and we make three commitments:
- Give children and adolescents access to evidence-based, effective clinical care when and where they need it most.
- Advance the science of the developing brain to improve diagnosis and treatment.
- Provide useful, accurate information that empowers families and communities to get help.
We will not sell, share or trade our donors’ names or personal information with any other entity, nor send mailings to our donors on behalf of other organizations. This policy applies to all information received by the Child Mind Institute, both online and offline, as well as any electronic, written, or oral communications. To the extent any donations are processed through a third-party service provider, our donors’ information will only be used for purposes necessary to process the donation.
The Child Mind Institute comprises a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Child Mind Institute, Inc., and two clinical programs, Child Mind Medical Practice, PLLC and Child Mind Medical Practice, PC. Donations to the Child Mind Institute are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The Child Mind Institute does not accept funding from the pharmaceutical industry. Upon request, a copy of our latest annual report can be obtained by contacting the Child Mind Institute at Attention: Development Office, 215 East 50th Street
New York, New York 10022 or by contacting the Charities Bureau of the Office of the Attorney General at 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
Learn about other ways you can donate to the Child Mind Institute, like giving by check, donating stock, giving through your employer or even shopping on Amazon. Learn more.
Our Impact
Learn more about how the Child Mind Institute is making change for communities and for individuals struggling with mental health.
