– About SHARK Specialty
The SHARK Clinic provides specialty consult services for patients with concerns regarding behavior, development, mental health, adverse childhood experiences and trauma, functional disorders, and complex medical problems. Our team of trauma-informed providers can provide diagnoses and will develop a comprehensive treatment plan. Our SHARK support team assists in linkage to resources and referrals and provides one on one support to families as they navigate the healthcare system.  The SHARK clinic also provides several supplementary programs to our patients to promote resilience and help in holistic healing (see SHARK Clinic Programs below).

– Examples of Patient Referrals

• Complex social situation & chronic unexplained pain 
• Developmental delays with difficulty accessing services 
• Persistent sleeping or toileting problems with no identifiable medical cause 
• Severe impulsive/hyperactive behavior in a child when this may be related to exposure to trauma
• History of trauma and poorly controlled chronic disease 
• School failure and PTSD symptoms
• Families in need of legal resources due to experience with domestic abuse or unhealthy living conditions
• And many more

– About SHARK Primary Care
The SHARK Primary Care Medical Home (PCMH) provides trauma-informed  primary care to DHS patients with a focus on those who have connection to Rancho Los Amigos or who would benefit high level care coordination in their primary care medical home.

– Primary Care Services

• Well visits for patients ages 0 to 20
• Newborn check ups
• Routine vaccinations
• Sick Visits
• Autism-friendly services
• Fully accessible for those with any type of physical disability
• And many more

– About Our Systems Change Efforts
The SHARK Team works to identify and address gaps in resources available to DHS patients throughout LA County. By working with DHS providers, reaching out to community-based organizations, and helping to stream-line referral processes, we aim to help primary care doctors connect their patients to needed services more efficiently.

– Examples of Resources Developed

• Regional Center/Developmental Delay Algorithm
• Regional Center Tip Sheets
• DHS Speech Therapy Workflow
• And many more

– About SHARK Mental Healthcare                                                                                                                                                                                 In addition to proving support for our patients to connect with community therapists and mental health providers, the SHARK Clinic partners with the Department of Mental Health and the Charles R. Drew Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship program to provide co-located mental healthcare within our clinic. Through this partnership, our SHARK patients can receive expert, child psychiatry evaluation and bridging treatment until connected to a long-term provider. Also, our SHARK Social Workers are trained in one on one counseling, PTSD treatment, eating disorders, and positive parenting and can provide our patients with bridging support while they help them connect with outside resources.