3 minute read
Preparing for the Future
As we work to meet the current need for quality mental health care for the children of our region and beyond, we must also plan and prepare for the future. At CHKD, we’ve established programs to train the mental health professionals of tomorrow, and we place a strong focus on research to identify the most effective treatments and interventions.
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Through funding from CHKD’s Children’s Health Foundation, and support from the EVMS department of pediatrics based at CHKD, our mental health team has launched the Center for Academic Pediatric Mental Health. This program is dedicated to studying the quality and outcomes of the mental health care we offer, promoting prevention and early childhood mental health, and implementing state-of-the-art research in collaboration with other national experts in pediatric mental health. The Center will contribute to health, healing, and hope for all children with an intentional focus on ensuring access to care and eliminating disparities. This research will ensure our patients receive rigorously evaluated, evidence-based care. And, through dissemination of our findings, we will contribute to defining best practices and ensure that CHKD remains a leader in children’s mental health care.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship
The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has approved CHKD’s application to establish a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship. With a start date of July 2023, this fellowship will train the next generation of child and adolescent psychiatrists to promote the mental health of all children through a full continuum of clinical care. The two-year program, developed with a focus on meeting the needs of today’s youth and attention to population health, family-centered care, and the integration of physical and mental health care, will accept two psychiatrists each year.
Child Psychology Fellowships
CHKD offers two psychology fellowships for postdoctoral psychologists. Our pediatric psychology fellows develop the clinical skills necessary to provide care for diverse pediatric populations by working with a variety of medical specialties including inpatient pediatric rehabilitation, pain and palliative care, gastroenterology, neurology, hematology/oncology, intensive care, and trauma within interdisciplinary teams. The CHKD Child Advocacy Center offers a separate fellowship in clinical psychology with a goal of preparing fellows for the professional practice of psychology with a specialty in childhood trauma. Training includes assessment, consultation, and therapeutic inventions, with an emphasis on using evidence-based practices. These fellows obtain experiences working with children from typically underserved populations, including crime victims, racial and ethnic minorities, those with low income, and individuals from rural areas.
Dr. Nicole Kreiser Wells, psychologist, and Amy Quinn, director of research administration, discuss a promising new pediatric mental health research program at CHKD.
PART THREE The Need is Real
It is estimated that at least 20% of children in the U.S. have a diagnosable mental health condition. And, although early intervention is key, fewer than one-fourth are receiving treatment. Our children are living with, and dying from, undiagnosed and untreated mental health challenges. As many as a dozen children turn to CHKD’s emergency department every day in need of urgent mental health care. Some wait for days for an available inpatient psychiatric bed. Many end up leaving the region, or even the state, for care. With the opening of Children’s Pavilion, we are tackling this crisis head-on.
A team of more than 400 mental health professionals and support staff are being assembled to bring Children’s Pavilion to life. Dr. Dan Spencer, associate chief of mental health services; mental health RN Jasmine Gordon; and mental health therapist Rashard Pearson take a moment to enjoy the family lounge on the 13th floor as they prepare for the launch of inpatient care.
