Building Primary Care Providers' Capacity to Address Pediatric Emotional and Behavioral Health

More than ever, pediatric health professionals are seeing children who struggle with anxiety, depression, and other behavioral concerns. The rates of childhood mental health issues continue to soar, and primary care providers (PCPs) report challenges in addressing the emotional and behavioral health needs of their patients.

The ongoing monthly sessions, provide pediatric health professionals with a platform to connect with child and adolescent psychiatrists and other PCPs in their community. The goal of the series is to equip learners with knowledge, skills, practice, and attitudes to better screen, identify, and treat a child themselves or to know when to refer the child to another specialist.

At the conclusion of the series, learners will be able to:

• Address the basic mental health concerns of their pediatric patients through evidenced-based interventions
• Apply principles learned in the series to develop a treatment plan for patients with mental health diagnoses
• Identify when patients with mental health concerns require a higher level of care or expertise
• Assess pediatric patients for suicide risk and engage parents/guardians in safeguarding their home to mitigate risk of suicide
• Demonstrate how a psychiatrist works through a differential and establishes a working diagnosis
• Explore evidence-based medication treatment options, discuss their indications, side effects and risk vs benefits to help providers consider next steps of treatment for mental health concerns 
• Review non pharmacologic interventions- i.e.- psychosocial interventions, family dynamics, school communication, lifestyle modifications- for symptom management practical to primary care 
• Increase provider preparedness by 70% re: medication intervention for mental health symptoms

The Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is accredited by the Arizona Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Arizona Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics designates this live educational activity for a maximum of 9.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.