CMHI Hosts REACH Institute Training for Pinellas Pediatric Professionals

JWB’s Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) made it possible for 20 local pediatric professionals to participate in the REACH Institute’s Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care mini fellowship from January 23-25 at the Hilton St. Petersburg Carillon Park.  

The comprehensive, in-person, 16-hour training is designed to help pediatricians increase their comfort and skills in assessing, diagnosing, and treating low to moderate pediatric mental health conditions in their respective pediatric practices. Over four additional months, the pediatricians will also participate in a case-based distance learning program with national primary care and child/adolescent psychiatry experts to learn to manage pediatric mental health issues encountered in daily practice. 

The goal is to help these medical professionals correctly identify pediatric health problems such as childhood depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, anxiety states (including PTSD), oppositional and conduct disorders, and psychosis. They will then be able to create and implement a treatment plan including selecting medications and mobilizing existing resources like family members, school personnel, and other professional caregivers—all while serving patients in their pediatric practice where families and children already feel safe and secure. 

Bringing this three-day REACH Institute training to our community supports CMHI’s commitment to creating a high-quality, service-integrated system of care in Pinellas County that focuses on prevention, early detection, and early intervention for children and families. 

See more photos from the training on Facebook.