Common to Complex: Mental & Behavioral Health Treatment (Therapist) - Winter 2024 Cohort

Tuesday, January 16, 2024, 8:30 AM - Tuesday, March 5, 2024, 9:45 AM, Online

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:
     • Overview of 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
     • 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)
     • 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, trauma)
     • Skills practice in complex case conceptualization and evidence-based treatment selection

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 Tuesday, January 16, 2024. Registration will open late November.
     • Participate via video-conference
     • Eight - 75 minute sessions, held on Tuesday mornings.
     • 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 75% of sessions and submit at least 1 case
     • Session dates: 1/16, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27, 3/5

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:
Jillian E. Austin, PhD, BCBA,
Dr. Austin 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.

Caitlin Geiser, LPCC-S,
Caitlin is a Licensed Clinical Counselor in the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children’s. She provides direct clinical care in Integrated Behavioral Health at Anderson Hills Pediatrics and works with patients from infancy through young adult.

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."

1. Screen for pediatric health concerns
2. Utilize best evidence/treatment algorithms to identify treatment options
3. Describe the referral pathway of pediatric diagnoses if not treatable in the community setting
4. Discuss roles/responsibilities for the healthcare team when treating and referring
5. Communicate with the healthcare team

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. Specific accreditation information will be provided for each activity.

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

IPCE: This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 1.25 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.

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

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including faculty, planners, reviewers or others are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (commercial interests). All relevant conflicts of interest have been mitigated prior to the commencement of the activity.

No faculty are available for this activity at this time.