• Assessment Seminar

• Biopsychosocial Formulation

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Resident Retreat

• Child and Adolescent Psychopathology

• Child and Adolescent Therapies

• CHILD PRITE Review

• Cultural Conference

• Domentic Violence including Child Abuse and Sexual Abuse

• Ethics Seminar

• Family Therapy Experiential Seminar

• Forensic Child Psychiatry

Advanced Pediatric Psychopharmacology

The goal of this seminar each year is to bring the most up-to-date information regarding pediatric psychopharmacology to the whole trainee group. 

A. Knowledge

    At the end of this course, the resident should be able to:

1. Identify the current controversies regarding pediatric psychopharmacology
2. Discuss the use of the most recently approved drugs, both off label and on label in the treatment of child and adolescent psychiatric disorders
3. Recognize the challenges of polypharmacy

B. Skills

    At the end of the course, the resident should be able to:

1. Prescribe responsibly the most recently released drugs when the clinical situation demands such treatment.
2. Educate patients and families regarding the risk/benefit ratio of controversial treatments

C. Attitudes

    The resident should demonstrate:

1. An interest in maintaining a knowledge of cutting edge psychopharmacology
2. A respect for the gravity with which complicated psychopharmacology must be undertaken
3. Active participation in class, asking relevant questions and making relevant comments

Assessment Seminar

The goal of this seminar is to educate the resident in the psychiatric assessment techniques used in evaluating preschoolers, school-aged children and adolescents.

A. Knowledge

1. At the end of this seminar, the resident should be able to demonstrate an understanding of psychiatric assessment of children and adolescents by the ability to:
2. Discuss psychiatric assessment approaches to pediatric patients from infancy through adolescence.
3. Discuss psychiatric assessment approaches to pediatric patients from infancy through adolescence
4. Identify interview techniques appropriate for each developmental stage
5. Identify rating scales and other standardized methodologies used in the psychiatric evaluation of pediatric patients
6. Recognize the components of a biopsychosocial formulations

B. Skills

    The resident should demonstrate the ability to:

1. Discuss a case vignette and develop an assessment plan
2. Choose appropriate rating scales to augment the assessment process
3. Develop a biopsychosocial formulation after observing an interview on video

C. Attitudes

    The resident should demonstrate:

1. An interest in learning about the psychiatric assessment of children and adolescents
2. Preparation and regular, on-time attendance for each session
3. Active participation in class by asking relevant questions and making relevant comments

Biopsychosocial Formulation

The goal of this seminar is to fine tune the resident’s ability to develop a biopsychosocial formulation from information presented in live or videotaped interviews with children or adolescents and their families.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this seminar, the resident should be able to:

1. Identify all of the components of the biopsychosocial formulation
2. Discuss the format in which the formulation should be presented

B. Skills
    At the end of this seminar, the resident should be able to:

1. List the relevant information for each part of the formulation of a case after viewing an interview
2. Present the biopsychosocial formulation for a case to the class

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Active participation
2. Respect for colleagues and their presentations
3. Constructive criticism for their own and other’s formulations

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Resident Retreat

The goal of this experience is to foster team building among the residents and give the residents an opportunity to anonymously evaluate the didactic and clinical components of the training program

A. Knowledge

    At the end of this seminar, the resident should be able to:

1. Identify both positives and negatives about the training program
2. Recognize how others perceive the training experience
3. Discuss administrative aspects of the training process

B. Skills

    At the end of the seminar, the resident should be able to:

1. Give constructive feedback regarding his/her training experience
2. Establish rapport with fellow residents

C.Attitudes

    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Collegiality
2. Attendance and active particpation

Child and Adolescent Psychopathology

The goal of this course is to address the full range of psychopathology seen in children and adolescents, addressing all the disorders usually first seen in childhood and the other psychiatric disorders that are also seen in childhood.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of the course the resident should be knowledgeable about:

1. All the disorders seen in children and adolescents
2. Epidemiology and prognosis for each of these disorders
3. Evidence based and expert-opinion based treatments for these disorders

B. Skills
    At the end of the course the resident should be able to:

1. Recognize the criteria for the diagnosis of the various disorders
2. Propose a treatment plan that is supported by the field of child and adolescent psychiatry

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate

1. Good attendance and preparation for class
2. Interest in learning about child and adolescent psychopathology
3. Active participation in class discussions
   

Child and Adolescent Therapies

The goal of this course is to provide the resident with exposure to most of the therapies that are indicated for use in children and adolescents through a number of mini-courses which deal in some depth with particular therapies (family, behavior, psychodynamic, play, cognitive-behavioral) and provide some introduction to others (group, interpersonal, dialectical behavioral therapy, relaxation training, etc.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of the course the resident should be able to:

1. Have a working knowledge of most of the therapies usually employed with children and adolescents
2. Discuss the indications for each of these therapies
3. Recognize the techniques that might be employed with each of these therapies

B. Skills
    At the end of the course the resident should be able to:

1. Begin to use some of the techniques learned as he/she works with patients under supervision
2. Decide which therapy might be most appropriate for cases that he/she evaluates

C. Attitudes
   The resident should demonstrate:

1. Good attendance and preparation for class
2. Willingness to learn about the various therapies and use them with patients
3. Active participation in class discussions

CHILD PRITE Review

The goal of this seminar is to aid the residents in their exam taking skills while exploring multiple topics in an exam type format.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this seminar, the resident should be able to:

1. Discuss a number of topics specific to child and adolescent psychiatry
2. Identify areas of expertise where the individual resident needs to focus on more

B. Skills
    At the end of the seminar, the resident should be able to:

1. Answer more questions correctly
2. Defend answers to questions
3. Utilize test-taking skills to improve performance

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Active participation by answering questions
2. Openness to exploring reasons for having missed specific questions, both knowledge based and test-taking contributions

Child Psychiatry Clinical Case Conference

The goal of this conference is to provide a forum for disseminating up-to-date scientific information to a multidisciplinary group in a professional, case based discussion that offers residents opportunities to promote poise and confidence in presenting clinical and theoretical material.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of these sessions the resident should be able to:

1. Identify areas of new knowledge
2. Discuss state-of-the-art approaches to complex clinical cases

B. Skills
    At the end of these sessions the resident should be able to:

1. Better articulate clinical presentations and discussions
2. Work together with supervisors to develop educational presentations

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. An interest in the variety of clinical materials presented
2. Respect for the discussion of clinical material in a group setting
3. Active participation through relevant questions and comments
4. Attendance
   

Child Psychiatry Journal Club

The goal of this seminar is to expose residents to current literature in a group discussion format in which critical appraisal of the findings is paramount, thereby preparing the resident for critical appraisal of current literature throughout his/her professional career.

A. Knowledge
    During this course the resident should learn to:

1. Read the literature critically
2. Discuss current issues in the literature

B. Skills
    The resident should be able to:

1. Critically evaluate articles from current publications
2. Identify weaknesses and strengths in study design

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Good attendance and preparation
2. Interest in the current literature
3. Openness to evaluating critically what is read

Conference with Grand Rounds Speakers

The goal of this conference is to offer the trainee the opportunity to discuss topics of interest more informally with experts who visit the Department.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this course the resident should be able to:

1. Discuss new areas of knowledge he has learned from expert speakers
2. Identify areas for further learning

B. Skills
    The resident should be able to:

1. Attend carefully to the content of the presentations
2. Formulate cogent questions for discussion during the conference

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. An interest in the wide variety of topics that are presented
2. Active participation through relevant questions and relevant comments
3. Good attendance

Cultural Conference

The goal of this seminar is to raise the resident’s consciousness regarding cultural issues in the patient populations that we treat and how those issues interplay with the resident’s own cultural experiences.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this course the resident should be able to:

1. Describe some of the cultural issues prevalent in the more common cultures from which our patients come
2. Recognize how cultural beliefs affect mental health in children and adolescents
3. Discuss how cultural conflicts may present as mental health issues

B. Skills
    At the end of this course the resident should be able to:

1. Identify his/her own cultural beliefs and recognize how these beliefs may impact his/her interactions with patients from different cultures
2. Be able to discuss cultural issues with patients

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. An interest in cultures different from his/her own
2. A tolerance for differences
3. Good attendance and participation
4. Openness to share own cultural background with class

Domestic Violence including Child Abuse and Sexual Abuse

The goal of this course is to provide a basic approach to the management of domestic violence and child abuse and neglect as well as address issues of psychological interventions for those children who have experienced these traumas.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this seminar, the resident should be able to:

1. Discuss the responsibilities of the professional in reporting child abuse
2. Recognize the necessity for an interdisciplinary model for child protection as well as interventions for children who are abused
3. List available resources within the community that can be accessed in the management of child abuse

B. Skills
    At the end of this seminar, the resident should be able to:

1. Recognize the signs of child abuse and neglect or domestic violence
2. Develop a plan for reporting and intervention in such cases
3. Relate to child protective and community services in an effective manner

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Attendance and preparation
2. Active participation with relevant questions and comments
3. Respect for the opinions of colleagues from different disciplines

Ethics Seminar

The goals of this course are to acquaint through readings and case discussions the resident with pertinent ethical issues common to the practice of child and adolescent psychiatry.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of the course the resident should be able to:

1. Discuss the ethical standards as outlined by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
2. Identify common ethical dilemmas
3. Recognize one’s professional responsibility for one’s own ethical behavior and for others in the profession as well

B. Skills

    At the end of the course the resident should be able to:

1. Choose the ethical course when confronted with ethical issues
2. Communicate to others the ethical standards of practice
3. Present cases for discussion in the seminar

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Good attendance, preparation and participation
2. The ability to share own clinical material for ethics discussion
3. Openness to listen to the opinions of others

Family Therapy Experiential Seminar

The goal of this course is present basic and advanced practice of family psychotherapy with children, adolescents and families utilizing didactic material, group discussion, observations of videotapes, and work with ongoing cases

A. Knowledge
    At the end of the course, the resident should be able to:

1. Appreciate the influence that the family has on the individual by serving as a system in which the individual develops and functions
2. Understand how to assess the family through a structural approach
3. Understand the psychodynamics of family interactions and functioning
4. Discuss the techniques effective for family intervention

B. Skills
    At the end of the course, the resident should be able to:

1. Formulate a treatment plan for a family intervention
2. Develop a genogram on a case of the resident’s choice
3. Implement some family intervention techniques in his/her own cases

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. An interest in family contributions to psychological problems in children
2. Attendance and preparation for classes
3. Active participation through relevant comments, questions, and sharing of case material

Forensic Child Psychiatry

The goal of this seminar is to acquaint the resident with the most common forensic issues relevant to the practice of child and adolescent psychiatry.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of the course the resident should be able to:

1. Discuss the differences between the juvenile justice system and the adult system
2. Discuss landmark cases that affect the practice of child and adolescent psychiatry
3. Identify the legal issues around custody, child protection, adoption, etc.
4. Differentiate a fact witness from an expert witness
5. Identify ethical issues around forensic practice
   

B. Skills
    At the end of the course the resident should be able to:

1. Write a forensic report
2. Decide appropriate responses to legal requests such as subpoenas
3. Ethically deal with conflicts of interest in forensic matters

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Flexibility in recognizing how forensic psychiatric issues differ from routine evaluation and therapy
2. Good attendance, preparation and participation

Growth and Development

The goal of this course is to provide the resident with the basic science (normal growth and development) of child and adolescent psychiatry. The approach is to look at development longitudinally as well as cross-sectionally so that the resident will be able to integrate the various theories into looking at the child/adolescent as a whole person. Opportunities are provided to interact with normal children of different ages.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this course, the resident should be able to:

1. Discuss the various developmental theories across the developmental span from infancy through adolescence, including cognitive, psychosocial, psychosexual, behavioral, and moral spheres
2. Identify for each age group the major milestones that should be achieved
3. Integrate the knowledge from the various theories into an understanding of the whole child

B. Skills
    At the end of the course the resident should be able to:

1. Recite expectable milestones at each age
2. Observe a child and evaluate whether the child has reached normal developmental milestones

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Good attendance and preparation for class
2. Interest in learning about development across the life span
3. Active participation in class discussions and interactions with children and families

Interdisciplinary Consultation Conference

The goal of this biweekly conference is to foster interdisciplinary discussions of challenging cases in an effort to generate assessment and treatment recommendations to help facilitate better management of the case.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of these sessions, the resident should be able to:

1. Identify areas of new knowledge
2. Discuss different approaches to complex problems

B. Skills
    At the end of these sessions, the resident should be able to:

1. Utilize the group consultation to better manage complex cases
2. Consult with peers to help them formulate better approaches to complex cases

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Collegial and respectful evaluation and discussion of challenging case material
2. Active participation by both presenting cases and discussing the cases of others in a constructive manner

Interdisciplinary Resident Core Curriculum

This series of conferences throughout two years addresses GME issues that transcend specialties. The goal is to have residents from all programs together to address common issues of ethical, socioeconomic, medical/legal, and cost-containment in medicine along with general skills of communication, research literacy and skills for life-long learning.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this course, the resident should be able to:

1. Discuss common issues of medical practice that deal with professionalism and systems of care
2. Identify critical ways to read the literature and insure life-long learning

B. Skills
    At the end of the course, the resident should be able to:

1. Integrate professional values into clinical work
2. Read the literature in his/her field critically
3. Develop his/her own approach to life-long learning

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Good attendance record
2. Interest in the topics presented
3. Active participation in class discussions

Orientation to Residency

The overall goal of this seminar is to provide residents with an overview of the training program and introduce trainees to the goals and expectations of the program as well as the various rotations and resources available

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this seminar, the resident should be able to:

1. Discuss the general goals and expectations for the training program
2. Identify specific goals and expectations for major rotations
3. Be familiar with resources available at MCG to foster the educational experience

B. Skills
    The resident should demonstrate the ability to:

1. Access the MCG resident’s manual on-line
2. Use IT systems in the hospital and clinics
3. Begin to implement training goals

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. An openness to learning about the program
2. A willingness to attend and participate in all sessions

Orientation to the Supervisory Process

The goal of this seminar is to help trainees understand the process of supervision, work with supervisors to set goals for supervision, and identify road blocks from both supervisor and supervisee perspectives to effective supervision.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this seminar the resident should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the supervisory process by the ability to:

1. Discuss the purpose and process of supervision
2. Differentiate between supervision and therapy
3. Recognize some of his/her own issues that might affect the supervisory process

B. Skills
    The resident should be able to:

1. Establish goals for supervision with each supervisor
2. Confront road blocks if they occur

C. Attitudes

    The resident should demonstrate:

1. An interest in learning about the supervisory process
2. An openness to discussing previous positive and negative experiences in supervision
3. Active participation, regular attendance and preparation

Pediatric Consultation/Liaison Seminar

The goal of this seminar is to disseminate an overview and general knowledge of pediatric conditions and the psychiatric/psychological issues associated with them and to develop basic consultation skills relevant to key pediatric conditions

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this course, the resident should be able to:

1. Understand the diagnostic and treatment skills entailed in pediatric psychiatric consultation work
2. Define the role of the psychiatric consultant
3. Understand the stresses of pediatric hospitalization for children and families
4. Discuss issues regarding pain management and other treatment interventions for children with common chronic pediatric illnesses.
5. Understand the key psychological issues in terminal illness in children and adolescents
6. Identify key assessment issues in the evaluation and triage of suicidality in children and adolescents

B. Skills
    At the end of this course, the resident should be able to:

1. Approach consultation in pediatrics from a biopsychosocial model
2. Evaluate and triage suicidality
3. Work with pediatric staff to resolve conflicts and optimize care for patients and families

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Attendance and preparation for each class
2. Active participation with relevant questions and comments
3. Openness to consider the consultation role as a recommender to another physician, rather than a case manager

Pediatric Psychopharmacology

The goal of this seminar is to educate the resident in the basic principles of prescribing to children and adolescent as well as the specifics of prescribing in each drug category, addressing issues of regulation, dosing, and side effects.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this seminar the resident should demonstrate a knowledge of:

1. The basics of psychopharmacology – drugs, receptions, neurotransmitters
2. The interactions between drugs and the developing brain
3. How to assess and monitor safety issues in child and adolescent psychopharmacology
4. The major drug categories used in pediatric psychopharmacology: antipsychotics, stimulants, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, as well as atypical agents and adjunctive agents

B. Skills
    The resident should be able to:

1. Feel comfortable prescribing the major medications used in child and adolescent psychiatry
2. Recognize the need for consultation in complicated cases

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. An interest in learning about psychopharmacology and the process of prescribing
2. On-time attendance and preparation for class
3. Active participation in class discussions

Research Seminar

The goal of this seminar series is first, to expose the resident to the general tenets of psychiatric research and second, to focus specifically on child and adolescent psychiatric research. The seminars will prepare the resident for choosing their academic project.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this course, the resident should be able to:

1. Discuss basic research methodology.
2. Define the stages in the development of a research project
3. Identify the ethical issues related to research with human subjects
4. Recognize the challenges of recruiting subjects and administering research protocols

B. Skills
    At the end of the course, the resident should be able to:

1. Work with a mentor to plan a project of interest
2. Develop a protocol for informed consent
3. Choose areas in child and adolescent psychiatry for research

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Curiosity to explore areas of new knowledge in child and adolescent psychiatry
2. Good attendance and participation
3. Interest in developing his/her own academic project

School Consultation Seminar

The goal of this seminar is to prepare the residents to function as a consultant to schools, identifying problems commonly seen in schools and define the role of the school based child and adolescent psychiatric consultant.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of the course, the resident should be able to:

1. Identify questions commonly asked by school personnel.
2. Understand the role of the psychiatric consultant in the school
3. Discuss the different levels of interventions that can be made in the school, at the administrative level, at the classroom level, and with the individual patient
4. Recognize the limited confidentiality of some school records

B. Skills
    At the end of the course, the resident should be able to:

1. Establish a consultative relationship within a school setting
2. Define the boundary issues that a school consultant must be aware of
3. Function at various levels as a consultant in the school

C. Attitudes
    The resident must demonstrate:

1. Attendance and preparation for classes
2. Active participation with relevant questions and comments
3. Openness to look at the role of the consultant as different from the primary provider of psychiatric services

Special Topics in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

The goal of this course is to address issues in child and adolescent psychiatry that do not fit easily into developmental, psychopathological or therapeutic topics.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this course, the resident should be able to:

1. Discuss issues of life experiences like divorce and bereavement on the child or adolescent
2. Recognize the influence of spirituality and religion on the developing child as well as on mental illness and treatment issues
3. Discuss the importance of practice issues such as utilization review, quality assurance and performance improvement

B. Skills
    At the end of this course, the resident should be able to:

1. Integrate knowledge from this seminar into his/her practice of child and adolescent psychiatry
2. Develop his/her own method of performance improvement

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Attendance and preparation for classes
2. Active participation with relevant questions and comments

Training Director’s Meeting

The goal of this experience is to focus on administrative issues relevant to child and adolescent psychiatry training through open discussion of administrative issues and mechanisms to improve training and educational experiences.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of these sessions, the resident should be able to:

1. List the requirements for completion of training in child and adolescent psychiatry
2. Recognize the contributions of both didactic and clinical experiences to these overall goals
3. Identify learner as well as teacher contributions to this process

B. Skills
    Through these sessions, the resident should be able to:

1. Better articulate his/her educational goals and needs
2. Identify areas for improvement from both a programmatic as well as an individual basis

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Regular attendance and active participation
2. Openness to recommendations for change

Transition to Practice Seminar

The goal of this seminar is to offer senior child and adolescent psychiatry residents an opportunity to explore different career paths and choices for the practicing child and adolescent psychiatrist.

A. Knowledge
    At the end of this seminar, the resident should be able to:

1. Discuss potential career paths, e.g. academic, private practice, public psychiatry, inpatient, outpatient and administrative options.
2. Define the pros and cons of the various options

B. Skills
    At the end of this seminar, the resident should be able to:

1. Begin to make some informed choices for his/her own career path
2. Weigh options within his/her own priorities

C. Attitudes
    The resident should demonstrate:

1. Attendance and active participation with relevant questions and comments
2. Respect for the opinions of others as various options are discussed