Common to Complex: Mental & Behavioral Health Treatment (Therapist) - Fall 2021 Cohort 1B

Wednesday, September 8, 2021, 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

Mental and behavioral health concerns are common in children and adolescents presenting to therapists in community agencies and schools; however, identification and treatment can be complex and time with families is limited. Our Therapist ECHO series provides an efficient and collaborative way to learn and practice evidence-based interventions. The learning is supported by psychologists and therapists.

Planned Topics Include:
     • Case conceptualization using evidence-based approaches
     • Screening and measuring outcomes across settings (includes safety assessment and planning)
     • Effective and efficient strategies to teaching self-regulation/relaxation interventions
     • Techniques for improving patients’ skills in feeling identification/expression
     • Brief, practical and effective interventions for improving caregiver management of common presenting concerns
     • Improving emotional, behavioral, and social functioning through behavioral interventions (e.g., exposure interventions, behavioral activation, sleep interventions)
     • Brief, practical and effective cognitive interventions for decreasing common mental health symptoms (e.g., thought records, cognitive distortions, examining evidence, thought challenging)
     • Adaptations of interventions for complex clinical situations (e.g., comorbidities, telehealth and/or COVID, trauma)

Target Audience
The target learner is a master-level professional who provides therapy for children and adolescents. 

How to Participate?
     • The next cohort is scheduled to begin Wednesday, September 8, 2021. Registration will open mid-July.
     • Participate via video-conference
     • Seven - 75 minute sessions, held on Wednesdays mid-day.
     • We will use a web-based video platform (Zoom) to conduct sessions. There is no cost to participants for this platform.
     • Due to registration demand, practices may be limited to one participant per cohort.
     • Cohorts will be limited to approximately 25 participants.
     • Participants must be able to participate in at least 80% of sessions and submit at least 1 case
     • Session dates: 9/8, 9/22, 10/6, 10/20, 11/3, 11/17, 12/1, 12/15

Why should I participate?
Learners access pediatric specialists for professional collaboration through regular teleECHO sessions, which are like an interactive grand round presentation. During a session, the specialist will present a brief didactic.  Learners present cases to the "learning network," which includes the specialist team and other participants, to receive feedback.

Benefits for Participating Clinicians:
     • Participate from the convenience of your office or home
     • Face-to-face networking and collaboration with colleagues
     • Sessions led by sub-specialist
     • Receive expert opinions on cases

Featured Faculty:
Jessica M. McClure, PsyD
Dr. McClure is Clinical Director of the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology and Director of Mental Health Clinical Initiatives, Mind Brain Behavior Collaborative, at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She is current working on initiatives to increase evidence based therapy interventions across the mental health care continuum, with a focus on prevention and early intervention within pediatric primary care settings. Dr. McClure has published and presented extensively on cognitive-behavioral therapy with children and adolescents, including the adaptation of CBT interventions for non-traditional therapy settings such as schools and primary care offices.

Jillian E. Austin, PhD, BCBA, is a licensed psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst in the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine. She provides direct clinical care in Integrated Behavioral Health and as a pediatric psychologist has expertise in treating pediatric health concerns, as well as various developmental, behavioral, and mental health concerns. Dr. Austin has presented on evidenced-based treatments for children and adolescents at local, regional, national, and international conferences.

Melissa Young, PsyD
Dr. Young is a licensed psychologist within the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Young provides direct clinical care, in Integrated Behavioral Health, within the Center for Teen Health's Primary Care Clinic at CCHMC. Dr. Young has recently published on adapting an evidence-based intervention for caregivers of children with sickle cell disease, as well as considerations for promoting adherence and self-management amongst pediatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Young has also presented on research initiatives and evidence-based interventions, targeting children, adolescents, and their families, at local, national, and international conferences.

Emily Harris, MD, MPH, FAAP
Dr. Harris is board certified in pediatrics, adult psychiatry, and child and adolescent psychiatry. She provides direct clinical care at Cincinnati Children’s as a Primary Care Pediatrician, as well as an outpatient child and adolescent psychiatrist.

What is “Common to Complex”?
“From Common to Complex: Utilizing Telehealth to Connect Primary Care Providers to Pediatric Specialists” is a project to look at using technology and case-based learning to improve knowledge, self-efficacy and have a positive impact on care. Cincinnati Children’s will use the Project ECHO methodology to offer telehealth based learning for primary care providers over a 6-12-month period.  Project ECHO, Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, is a virtual learning network method that enables information sharing regarding best practices and access for specialty care in all areas, especially rural or underserved areas.

How Project ECHO Works
Project ECHO – Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes – uses technology, Project ECHO bridges the gap between healthcare specialists and community-based clinicians. The Project ECHO model is based on four principles:
     • Use technology to leverage scarce resources
     • Share “best practices” to reduce disparities
     • Apply case-based learning to master complexity
     • Evaluate and monitor outcomes

During Project ECHO sessions, healthcare clinicians present cases using a case-based format using video conferencing equipment. Project ECHO specialist and other participants discuss patient cases and recommendations are made regarding a treatment plan.  Specialists and community clinicians hear various case presentations, as well as follow-up and outcomes, and over time greatly increase their knowledge and experience in the evaluation and treatment of depression.  

What Clinicians and Partners say about Project ECHO:
     • “I feel more confident and it makes providing care easier. This project allows for increased opportunities to learn, and patients to get better care.”
     • “Project Echo has been a valuable learning experience for me, and I have learned and incorporated new ideas into my practice as a direct result of my participation. I find that sharing in a group setting and seeing how others approach problems to be a good way of synthesizing how I would or might approach things in my daily practice.  I highly recommend participation in Project Echo learning opportunities as they come available."

Information about Project ECHO
Project ECHO Overview Video
Project ECHO Infographic

In support of improving patient care, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Nurses: This activity is approved for a maximum 1.25 continuing nursing education (CNE) contact hours per session. *Some sessions - This CE activity is designed for the additional hours required for APRNs with prescriptive authority in Ohio.*

Clinical Counselors: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is an approved provider of professional counselor continuing education credits by the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board, Provider #RCX111201.  This program is approved for 1.25 clock hours (per session). Counselor program area: Methods of Intervention and Prevention

Social Workers: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is an approved provider of social work clock hours by the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board, Provider # RSX030902. This program is approved for 1.25 clock hours (per session). Social Work program area: Methods

For More Information about Common to Complex:
Center for Telehealth:
513-803-8353
[email protected]

Counseling (MIP) (1.25 hours), General Attendance (1.25 hours), Nursing CE (1.25 hours), Social Work (M) (1.25 hours)