Nicholas Kasovac has worked in the field of Pediatrics for the past 25 years in a variety of capacities and settings, including Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Outpatient, Pediatric Pain Clinic, Child Development and Infant/Toddler Mental Health. The roles he has executed include Unit Service Coordinator III, Health Unit Coordinator, Movement/Massage Therapist, Home Visitor/Child Development Specialist and Healthy Steps Specialist. Additionally, he managed a team of home visitors for the Healthy Families program.
Nicholas has utilized the Healthy Steps for Young Children model since 2004, including the Healthy Steps NICU model, specifically for families with babies who spent time in the NICU. From Nicholas’ experience with Healthy Steps, he identified a “service gap” for Fathers of newborns. Subsequently, he developed an innovative venture titled “The DAD Project (Dads And Development)” to create a time and place where Fathers could bring their babies to meet other Fathers, create a network of support and learn about their child’s development, emphasizing the Fathers’ typical learning style and unique contributions to their child’s social and emotional development. Importantly, Moms are requested NOT to attend The DAD Project.
Nicholas is “endorsed” as an Infant Family Specialist, Level 2, through the Infant/Toddler Mental Health Coalition of Arizona (ITMHCA), which is a member of the Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health. Also, Nicholas received a certificate in Infant/Family Studies from the Harris Institute for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. Nicholas has been inspired by parents with whom he works, and his training as a Certified Breastfeeding Counselor, to develop and implement another innovative program for Fathers to support breastfeeding called “Milk Men: Dads and Breastfeeding Support.”
Additionally, Nicholas has presented at conferences on the topic of fathers and infants. He was chosen, along with co-presenters Dr. Kevin Nugent and Dr. Nils Bergman, to present a workshop at WAIMH Congress 2014 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Most recently, he has presented at Ontario Association for Infant & Child Development conference and taught continuing education classes at Erikson Institute in Chicago, a graduate school focusing on Child Development and Social Work. Currently, Nicholas is a student in the graduate occupational therapy program at University of Puget Sound in Tacoma.