Project ECHO - Mental and Behavioral Health Treatment for Therapists (Spring 2026)

Thursday, March 12, 2026, 8:30 AM - Thursday, April 30, 2026, 9:45 AM

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, psychiatrists and therapists. The goal of ECHO is to improve providers’ comfort and skills with effective and efficient identification and management of common mental health presenting concerns, while also providing a network of resources to ensure patients receive the right care in the right place at the right time.

Intended Audience
The course has been designed for Advanced Practice Nurses, Social Workers, and Clinical Counselors who provide therapy to children and adolescents.

Session Dates
Thursdays | March 12-April 30, 2026 | 8:30-9:45 AM (ET)

Topics

• An introduction to case conceptualization and evidenced-based treatment for complex cases

• Effective and Efficient Strategies for Increasing Family Engagement in Self Regulation Interventions for complex cases

• Effective Caregiver Strategies for improving emotional, behavioral, and social functioning for complex cases

• Effective strategies for improving emotional, behavioral and social functioning through behavioral interventions for complex cases

• Effective strategies for improving emotional, behavioral and social functioning through cognitive interventions for complex cases

• Youth Suicide: An overview of crisis assessment and lethal means counseling

• Adapting EBTs for complex clinical situations and co-morbidities

• Advanced Case Conceptualization: Treatment Planning and EBT Prioritization

Featured Faculty
Heather Unrue, PhD
Dr. Unrue is a Licensed Psychologist in the Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center and is Clinic Lead at CCHMC's Primary Care at Fairfield. She is a Certified National Health Register Psychologist, Rostered in Child Parent Psychotherapy and TF-CBT, and Certified with the American Board of Professional Psychology. She provides direct clinical care to patients and families from 1mo – 18 years of age with the focus of prevention, early mental health intervention, and evaluation for developmental, behavioral, and medical and traditional mental health concerns. Outside of patient care she trains new medical residents, psychology residents, in-coming mental health providers on prevention services, and presents as a part of the Anxiety ECHO series to Pediatricians.

Melanie Grynsztejn-Lampl, PMHNP-BC
Melanie is a board certified Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in the Division of Psychiatry. Melanie specializes in providing psychiatric medication management to pediatric patients in the psychiatric outpatient clinic. Melanie has additional training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Caitlin Geiser
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.

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What is Project ECHO?

Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a revolutionary guided-practice model that reduces health disparities in your state, nation, and world. Through innovative tele-mentoring, the Project ECHO model uses a hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing approach where expert teams lead virtual sessions, amplifying the capacity for providers to deliver best-in-practice care to the patients in their own communities. Watch a brief video here.

How it Works
The Project ECHO model is built on four key 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, a learner from the community shares a de-identified case challenge or case concept based on their real-world experience. A brief overview of the case is shared during the ECHO session, followed by clarifying questions and a collaborative discussion. Together, the group provides recommendations, shares best practices, and offers guidance rooted in collective expertise and evidence-informed approaches.

Why Join?

• Free, interactive learning sessions

• Practical strategies to apply immediately in practice

• Collaboration and networking with peers and specialists

• Expert feedback on real-world cases

• Participate from the convenience of your office or home

iECHO Information

All registered learners must create an iECHO account to participate. iECHO is the web-based program management system developed by the ECHO Institute.

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What Participants Are Saying 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 incorporated new ideas into my practice as a direct result of participation.”

1. Apply evidence-informed strategies to support patients or populations with specialized, evolving, or unmet needs in the learner’s local setting.
2. Collaborate effectively across disciplines, professions, and systems of care by clarifying roles, improving communication, and integrating shared decision-making into routine workflows.
3. Increase confidence and capacity to address challenging or nuanced clinical situations locally, reducing unnecessary referrals and enhancing continuity, access, and equity in care.

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.

Nursing:   This activity is approved for a maximum 1.25 continuing nursing education (CNE) contact hours.

Social Work: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is an approved provider of Social Worker, Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist continuing education by the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board. Provider numbers (RSX069302) and (RCT052503). This session is pre-approved for 1.25 clock hours per session.

Clinical Counseling: 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 pre- approved for 1.25 clock hours per session.

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 (G) (1.25 hours), IPCE (1.25 hours), Nursing CE (1.25 hours), Social Work – (OH CSWMFT) (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.