Psychology and Behavioral Health

Services We Offer

Integrated Primary Care (IPC) 

Integrated Primary Care brings brief, problem‑focused, solution‑oriented behavioral health care directly into your child’s primary care office. Psychologists collaborate with primary care teams to support children throughout their development, with an emphasis on early intervention. 

IPC includes: 

• Warm handoffs: The primary care provider introduces the psychologist during the same appointment to begin behavior problem‑solving in real time. 
• Co‑located follow‑up visits: Short‑term behavioral health sessions provided in the primary care setting. 

IPC services are currently offered in four Nationwide Children’s - Toledo primary care locations:

• Franklin Avenue Primary Care Center
• Sylvania Primary Care Center
• Maumee Pediatric Associates
• Tiffin Primary Care Center

Autism Evaluation Services 

Our psychologists complete comprehensive autism evaluations for children ages 12 months through 18 years. Evaluations may include:  

• Developmental history and caregiver interview 
• Multi-informant rating scales 
• Behavioral observations 
• Autism specific measures (e.g., ADOS-2, ADI-R) 
• Additional standardized assessments, as needed 

Families receive a dedicated feedback appointment with individualized recommendations to support their child’s development. 

Pediatric Psychology 

Pediatric psychologists support children coping with medical conditions across both inpatient and outpatient settings. During a hospital stay, they provide brief, focused behavioral health care for youth admitted to the: 

• General Pediatrics Unit 
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) 
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) 

They also offer short term outpatient therapy (available by internal referral only) for concerns related to co-occurring medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, sickle cell disease and other complex illnesses. 

Meet Our Team

Sharnita D. Harris

Sharnita Harris, PhD, is the Clinical Director of Psychology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital – Toledo, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and is a founding member of behavioral health services at Nationwide Children’s - Toledo. Dr. Harris completed her pre-doctoral internship at Nationwide Children’s Child Development Center in Westerville and a pediatric psychology fellowship at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh/UPMC. Her clinical interests include early intervention, increasing access to behavioral health care, quality improvement, and health equity.

Kristen E. Boog

Kristen Boog, PhD is a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital - Toledo and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She completed a pre-doctoral internship at Nationwide Children's Hospital with a focus on diagnosing and treating youth with neurodevelopmental disorders in outpatient and inpatient settings and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Michigan State University/Hurley Children's Hospital with a joint focus on pediatric health psychology and neurodevelopmental disorders.  Dr. Boog's clinical interests include diagnosis and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorder), especially in older children and adolescents, brief intervention for youth experiencing acute and chronic health concerns and working with youth with co-occurring physical and neurodevelopmental concerns. 

Danielle L. Dwyer

Danielle Dwyer, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital - Toledo and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Dr. Dwyer completed her pre-doctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship training at University of Michigan Medicine, Pediatric Psychology Integrated Behavioral Health. Her clinical interests include increasing access to behavioral health assessment and therapy within pediatric primary care and promoting collaboration between pediatricians and behavioral health providers.  

Cassie N. Ross

Cassie Ross, PsyD, is a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital - Toledo who provides care through the Inpatient Pediatric Psychology Consultation-Liaison Service (including the Pediatric Floor, PICU, and NICU), the outpatient pediatric psychology consultation service and outpatient therapy services and she is the coordinator of the Pediatric Psychology Rotation for medical trainees. Her clinical interests include trauma-informed care and supporting youth with challenges such as treatment adherence, acute and chronic feeding concerns, somatic symptom and related disorders, and behaviors that impact medical care. She also specializes in helping children and adolescents cope with medical illnesses, injuries, and hospitalization, as well as addressing anxiety, depression, and trauma-related symptoms. 

Melissa D. Tuttle

Melissa Tuttle, PhD, BCBA, is a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital - Toledo and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. She also serves as the Director of Psychology Training and is assisting with increasing opportunities for pre- and post-doctoral training in psychology at Nationwide Children’s - Toledo. Dr. Tuttle completed her internship at the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Munroe-Meyer Institute within the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Her clinical interests include autism diagnostic assessment, behavioral intervention and increasing access to behavioral health care in rural communities.