Lindsay Clancy’s evaluation at the Perinatal Behavioral Health Program of South Shore Hospital revealed that she was suffering from “extreme” anxiety, as per Julie Paul, a psychiatric nurse practitioner who provided her care in November 2022.
Establishment of Perinatal Behavioral Health Program
In late November 2018, Paul established the Perinatal Behavioral Health Program after meeting Clancy through her then-mother-in-law, Sue, a nurse at South Shore Hospital. Paul assessed Clancy, who had recently given birth to her third child approximately six months prior, and determined that she would be a suitable candidate for the program.
Background
Paul noted that Clancy had also gone to the emergency room at South Shore Hospital a few days earlier, on November 16, 2022. Psychiatric nurse practitioner Rebecca Jollotta was summoned to provide testimony regarding her treatment of Lindsay Clancy at the South Shore perinatal behavioral clinic in 2022. Jollotta’s testimony comes a day after Clancy’s attorney criticized a psychiatrist who provided treatment to the postpartum mother in the months leading up to the January 2023 killings, citing the doctor’s limited experience, the exclusively virtual appointments with Clancy, and the medications prescribed.
Paul acknowledged that it is “pretty common practice” in psychiatry to experiment with various medications to identify the most suitable one for a specific patient. Clancy had been receiving treatment from a psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Tufts, and had experimented with several psychiatric medications, achieving mixed results. In response to a query from the prosecutors, Paul clarified that side effects typically manifest within the initial week or two of taking Prozac, while it usually requires four to six weeks for patients to experience improvement. Clancy expressed apprehension about beginning Prozac, prompting Paul to testify that he urged Clancy to adhere to the prescribed treatment plan. She also suggested that Clancy explore a partial hospitalization program at Rhode Island’s Women & Infants Hospital Center for Women’s Behavioral Health. However, Clancy believed at that time that it would not be feasible for her family. This encompassed details regarding the medication Clancy had been prescribed and her visit to the South Shore Hospital emergency room in November.
During their initial meeting, Jollotta recounted Clancy’s history while also utilizing some earlier information that Clancy had shared. Alongside medication, Jollotta suggested therapy, mindfulness practices, and physical activity, which she noted had previously benefited Clancy.
