• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • LinkedIn
  • LOGIN
  • DONATE NOW

  • Home
  • About
    • Mission
    • Annual Report 2019
    • History
    • For the Media
    • Board of Directors
      • Peter S. Jensen, MD
      • Alan Axelson, MD
      • Deborah Buccino, MD
      • Wynford Dore
      • Seth J. Finkel, JD, LL.M.
      • Steve Holsenbeck, M.D.
      • Robin Hulshizer, Esq.
      • Laura A. Jones, JD
      • Robert Marshall, Esq.
      • Matthew Raimondi
      • Charles G. Ray, M.Ed.
      • Elizabeth Reagan
      • Erica Rubach
      • Marley Spector
      • Judith Warner
    • Staff
    • REACH Faculty
      • PPP Faculty
      • CATIE Faculty
    • Donors and Funders
  • Services
    • For Healthcare Organizations
      • Staff Training
        • Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care
          • Training dates
          • How to schedule a course
          • Sites trained
          • What our trainees are saying
          • Faculty
        • Child/Adolescent Training in Evidence-Based Psychotherapies (CATIE)
          • How to schedule a training
          • Sites trained
          • What our trainees are saying
          • Faculty
        • Parent Empowerment
          • How to schedule a training
    • For Primary Care Practitioners
      • Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care
      • Adult Behavioral Health in Primary Care
      • Course Dates and Registration
      • What our trainees are saying
    • For Mental Health Practitioners
      • Child/Adolescent Training in Evidence-Based Psychotherapies (CATIE)
      • Dr. Greene’s Approach
    • REACH Scholarship
    • REACH Video
    • Online Courses
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Volunteer
      • Opportunities
      • Application
  • Help for Families
    • Advocating for Your Child
    • Child Mental Health: Fact vs. Fiction
    • Helpful Resources
    • REACH-Trained Practitioners
  • Trainees & Alumni
    • PPP Trainees & Alumni
      • Rating Scales
  • Newsletters
  • Contact Us

Home Newsletters

Newsletters about: Child mental health

10 ways to help families through the holidays

Photo of mother & toddlers celebrating the holidays virtually in front of a computer screen
If you're like most pediatric primary care providers (PCPs), you've seen an increase in child mental health issues due to COVID. Research shows that the pandemic, with its consequent disruption and isolation, has increased adolescents' risk of trauma, depression, and anxiety. Families are dealing with grief, the anxiety of whatever "school" means this week or this month, and, in many cases, loss of income. Families of color and low-income families have been hardest hit by the pandemic itself, by the economic and social fallout, and by the attendant impairment of mental health. And now come the holidays.

Read More »

November 17, 2020 | Author: The REACH Institute | Child mental health, Parents

How to talk with patients about racism

Black Lives Matter protesters
Once pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) recognize the importance of having conversations about race with their patients and families, the next question is how to begin.

Read More »

June 29, 2020 | Author: The REACH Institute | Child mental health, Culturally responsive, Anti-racism

Your patients need you to talk about race

Black Lives Matter protesters
"The first thing clinicians need to know about racism and discrimination is how important it is to talk about it." Open, honest, and effective conversations about race and racism are crucial to young people's mental health.

Read More »

June 23, 2020 | Author: The REACH Institute | Child mental health, Culturally responsive, Anti-racism

Suicide crisis among Black youth

photo of a sad Black young man sitting on the floor with his head on his arms
As suicidality among adolescents generally has declined in the past three decades, suicide attempts among Black adolescents have risen, according to a November 2019 article in Pediatrics. A report to the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) says that rates of suicide death have risen more for Black youth than for any other racial or ethnic group. A growing concern is that Black youth are less likely to report suicidal thoughts but more likely to attempt suicide; Black males are more likely to suffer injury or death as a result. Suicidality is also increasing among younger children. The reasons for these changes are not clear. However, the risk factors for suicidality and underlying mental health conditions among Black children and youth are myriad.

Read More »

February 12, 2020 | Author: The REACH Institute | Child mental health, Culturally responsive, Suicide

Helping patients & families cope with chronic disease

photo of a father helping his wheelchair-bound son eat a hamburger
In treating young patients who have chronic physical conditions, health care professionals focus -- as they must -- on alleviating the physical suffering caused by the disease. However, as a graduate of the REACH course Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care, you know the importance of supporting the mental and emotional health of young patients and their caregivers. A new article in Pediatrics highlights the importance of mental health care for families dealing with chronic illness.

Read More »

January 27, 2020 | Author: The REACH Institute | Child mental health, Parents

New AAP policy on mental health in pediatric care

photo of a female doctor listening to a girl whose head is turned away
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released a new policy and an accompanying technical report on mental health competencies for pediatric clinicians. REACH faculty member Cori Green, MD, MS, is a lead author of both documents. We asked Dr. Green, director of behavioral health education and integration at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, what the AAP policy and technical report mean for alumni of the REACH program Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care. “I hope they’ll be excited to see that what is being endorsed by AAP is essentially what they were taught in their REACH training,” Dr. Green said. In the technical report, the REACH course is described as a promising practice in continuing medical education.

Read More »

November 13, 2019 | Author: The REACH Institute | Pediatric primary care, Child mental health

Building a team to counter school refusal

photo of smiling girl on her way to school with parents waving in the background
"When it comes to school refusal, getting all the adults on the same page is the bottom line," said James Wallace, MD, a REACH faculty member. "Until you have that, you have nothing." Dr. Wallace, who teaches child psychiatry at the University of Rochester (New York) Medical Center School of Medicine and Dentistry, described an approach to school refusal that unites primary care providers, schools, and mental health professionals in helping families make choices that support regular school attendance. "An evidence-based approach to school refusal, and the anxiety or depression that usually underlie it, includes cognitive behavior therapy and sometimes medication," said Dr. Wallace. "But there's a third piece: getting all of the adults involved, including the parents, to address the social-emotional components of school attendance in a consistent way."

Read More »

October 15, 2019 | Author: The REACH Institute | Child mental health, School refusal

Helping patients deal with school shooter anxiety

photo of a man with a gun in a school active shooter drill
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 92% of public schools had formal active shooter plans in 2016, and 96% conducted lockdown drills. These measures are intended to keep children safe, but they may do as much harm as good. The title of a September 4 New York Times article sums it up: "When Active Shooter Drills Scare the Children They Hope to Protect." We asked REACH faculty member Jasmine Reese, MD, MPH, about how students react to active shooter drills and what pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) can do. Dr. Reese is Director of the Adolescent and Young Adult Specialty Clinic at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. "We have yet to see data on whether these drills are causing more anxiety and other mental health issues among students," said Dr. Reese. "But it seems clear in practice that they can either cause anxiety and depression or exacerbate existing issues."

Read More »

September 18, 2019 | Author: The REACH Institute | Child mental health, Anxiety, Cognitive behavioral therapy

Helping patients manage the transition to college

photo of young man moving into college dorm from mom's car
"Going to college is exciting, but students need to know that this experience, though positive, may also be stressful," said REACH faculty member Elena Man, MD. Dr. Man recommends resources and strategies that pediatric primary care clinicians can use to prepare patients for this significant transition to a new environment for learning, living, and friendships.

Read More »

July 24, 2019 | Author: The REACH Institute | Child mental health, Medication, Parents, College transition

How PCPs can prevent teen suicide

photo of a teen boy hiding his face in his arms
"It's not just that we're more aware of adolescent suicide," said Michael Scharf, MD, chief of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center and a REACH faculty member. "The rate really is going up. Teen suicide is still rare, but it's increasing." Primary care providers (PCPs) can help teens at risk of suicide, first of all, by being willing to talk about it. "Some people think that asking about suicidal ideation makes the kid more likely to act," said Dr. Scharf. "But evidence shows that asking either has no impact or has a relieving effect; it frees the patient to talk about the issue." "You need to think ahead of time of what to ask and how, so you feel comfortable," said Dr. Scharf. "You need a go-to way to assess risk and how likely the kid is to follow through." (See Resources below.) The assessment results can range from "nothing to do here" to "send this kid to the emergency department." "The tricky part," Dr. Scharf said, "is what to do in between."

Read More »

June 10, 2019 | Author: The REACH Institute | Pediatric primary care, Child mental health, Depression

5 Tips on Coding for Mental Health in Primary Care

photo of pediatric provider with computer and clipboard
Some pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) are nervous about providing mental health services because they are not sure they can be paid. However much they may want to treat patients with mental health disorders, they can't afford to practice for free! Evaluation and management of mental health conditions is time-intensive. PCPs wonder, "How can I spend 90 minutes doing intake?" Those who work in large healthcare systems worry about the WRVUs (work relative value units) by which their productivity is judged. Providers in small practices worry about getting paid for visits that involve primarily talk. "Primary care providers absolutely can be paid for mental health care," said Dr. Eugene Hershorin, a coding expert in the Pediatric Department in the University of Miami Health System and a REACH Institute faculty member.

Read More »

April 12, 2019 | Author: The REACH Institute | Pediatric primary care, Child mental health, coding

How Pediatric Professionals Can Use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Address Anxiety

photo of pediatrician with mother and small child
"Pediatric primary care providers can have a big impact on child mental health simply because we see children early and often," said Dana Kornfeld, MD, REACH board member and associate clinical professor of pediatrics at George Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Kornfeld, who practices at Pediatric Care Center in Bethesda, MD, endorses the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques in primary care to nip potentially crippling anxiety in the bud.

Read More »

March 25, 2019 | Author: The REACH Institute | Pediatric primary care, Child mental health, Anxiety, Cognitive behavioral therapy

Why Can't This Kid Sleep? (Teen Edition)

photo of teen girl using phone in bed
Alana, age 17, comes into your office complaining that she can’t sleep at night and struggles to stay awake during school. If she can, she sleeps until noon or later on weekends. “Diagnosis of sleep disorders is often easier with teens than with younger children, as long as you ask the right questions,” said Robert Kowatch, MD, a REACH faculty member who is a pediatric sleep expert at Ohio State University Medical Center/Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Read More »

February 12, 2019 | Author: The REACH Institute | Child mental health, Sleep disorders

Why Can't This Kid Sleep?

photo of a sleepy boy rubbing his eyes
Alana, age 17, comes in complaining that she is tired all the time and struggles to stay awake during school. Or perhaps it's six-year-old Miko, whose mother tells you that Miko avoids going to bed and often gets up in the middle of the night. Miko says he doesn't feel sleepy, but his teachers say he is often inattentive and sometimes quarrelsome. The most common sleep problems among young patients are these and other forms of insomnia or insufficient sleep, according to REACH faculty member Robert Kowatch, MD ...

Read More »

January 22, 2019 | Author: The REACH Institute | Pediatric primary care, Child mental health, Sleep disorders

How to Manage School Refusal

photo of teen in hoodie lying on couch with back to camera
Ryan, age 12, has missed almost three weeks of school so far. He complains of nausea and headache most school days and has to be cajoled into getting out of bed, but his mother says he is fine on weekends. The mother, who is eight months pregnant, is frantic; she can't afford to take any more time off work before she delivers. School refusal can have serious consequences. On the short term, the child falls behind academically, both the child and the family experience disruption and distress, and there can be legal and financial ramifications. Long-term consequences for school refusers include violent behavior, school dropout, early marriage, and unemployment. "The main goal of treatment is to get the child back to school as soon as possible," says Lisa Hunter Romanelli, PhD, REACH Institute CEO and clinical psychologist. "Being absent from school is highly reinforcing." Like many school refusers, Ryan presents somatic complaints. After you rule out physiological causes-- not only for these complaints but also for any underlying conditions that can produce depression or anxiety--what's next?

Read More »

October 29, 2018 | Author: The REACH Institute | Pediatric primary care, Child mental health, Assessment & screening, School refusal

Culturally Responsive Mental Health Screening Tools

black and white photo of teen women having fun at an event
As you've dealt with back-to-school (and back-to-sports) visits, you probably have been challenged by the gap between what's needed and what's practical. This visit may be the only time you see this child this year. You know that emotional and mental health is as important as physical health. But you have only so much time for each check-up. Screening tools are a big help...

Read More »

September 21, 2018 | Author: The REACH Institute | Child mental health, Assessment & screening, Culturally responsive

Mental health support for children in foster care

photo of Dr. Elizabeth Wallis working with a teen who is in foster care
"We have kids who come in here on three, four different medications," says Dr. Elizabeth Wallis, MD, "and we don't know why. We don't know what data were used to make those decisions." Dr. Wallis, director of the Foster Care Support Clinic (FCSC) of the Medical University of South Carolina and a REACH faculty member, was expressing just one of the challenges of treating children and youth in the foster care system.

Read More »

July 11, 2018 | Author: The REACH Institute | Child mental health, Medication, Foster care, High-risk children & youth

Getting smarter about child mental health

photo of Dr. Rachel Lynch of Mayo Clinic
"For these straightforward cases, when you can identify uncomplicated ADHD in patients without co-occuring depression or anxiety - well, everyone in primary care should be able to do this.”

Read More »

June 12, 2018 | Author: The REACH Institute | Child mental health, ADHD, Medication

"Now people have a place to go”

In the absence of a single child and adolescent psychiatrist anywhere in Cape May County, New Jersey, The REACH Institute training enabled Rainbow Pediatrics to help families who had nowhere else to turn.

Read More »

May 24, 2018 | Author: The REACH Institute | Pediatric primary care, Child mental health

Filter by Category

  • ADHD
  • Anti-racism
  • Anxiety
  • Assessment & screening
  • Child mental health
  • coding
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • College transition
  • Culturally responsive
  • Depression
  • Foster care
  • Grief
  • High-risk children & youth
  • Medication
  • Parents
  • Patient communication
  • Pediatric primary care
  • School refusal
  • Sleep disorders
  • Suicide
  • Trauma
  • Show All Categories

Filter by Date

  • May 2018
  • June 2018
  • July 2018
  • September 2018
  • October 2018
  • November 2018
  • January 2019
  • February 2019
  • March 2019
  • April 2019
  • May 2019
  • June 2019
  • July 2019
  • September 2019
  • October 2019
  • November 2019
  • January 2020
  • February 2020
  • March 2020
  • April 2020
  • May 2020
  • June 2020
  • July 2020
  • September 2020
  • October 2020
  • November 2020
  • January 2021
  • Show All

Contact Us

The REACH Institute
404 5th Avenue
3rd Floor
New York, NY 10018

Phone: 212-947-7322
E-mail: info@thereachinstitute.org

Stay Connected to REACH

Put your e-mail and click Submit.

Copyright 2021 The Reach Institute