AACAP's Strategic Plans to Enhance the Diversity of the Child Psychiatry and Child Mental Health Workforce Across all Mission Areas.

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) promotes the healthy development of children, adolescents, and families through advocacy, education, and research. This requires effectively meeting the mental health needs of historically minoritized communities. A diverse clinician workforce is an essential component of meeting those needs. This article will discuss AACAP's strategic plan for diversifying the workforce, this will be done with 3 main points: promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across all mission area, creating a pipeline of child and adolescent psychiatrists, and monitoring DEI activities and progress on an organizational level.

Psychiatry trainee experience of working in a child and adolescent eating disorder program.

OBJECTIVES: Eating disorders are serious psychiatric conditions that affect people of all ages. Many psychiatry trainees' first and only experience with eating disorders during training is their Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) rotation. This study aimed to explore the learning experience of psychiatry trainees working within an Eating Disorder Program (EDP) during their CAP rotation. METHODS: Fifteen trainees who participated in the EDP were recruited to complete an online survey and focus groups; a thematic analysis design was used to identify themes emerging from their responses. RESULTS: Themes emerged from the trainee learning experience of working in the EDP around what they found they learnt, what aided that process, what was difficult, and recommendations for future improvement. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided insight into the trainee experience in an EDP as one example of how trainees can learn about eating disorders and one way that could inform future workforce and training initiatives.

Expanding Psychiatric Treatment in Primary Care Settings: Improved Care Through the Wisconsin Child Psychiatry Consultation Program.

The national shortage of child psychiatrists has resulted in the necessity of primary care providers (PCPs) managing increased mental health concerns of youth. The Wisconsin Child Psychiatry Consultation Program (WI CPCP) is one of several programs throughout the United States which provide PCPs with education, consultation, and resource support related to pediatric mental health. To evaluate initial impact of the program, data from 190 pediatricians and family practitioners from the Wisconsin Health Information Organization (WHIO) were analyzed. Enrollment in the WI CPCP was associated with a significant increase in rates of mental health diagnoses within primary care visits. In addition, the number of providers who made any mental health diagnosis increased from 56% of PCPs pre-enrollment to over 99% post-enrollment. These data provide additional support for pediatric psychiatry consultation programs within primary care.

Exploring the effectiveness of a cascading mentorship model in developing CanMEDS competencies in postgraduate medical education: a qualitative interview study among resident mentors at a medical school in Canada.

OBJECTIVES: The CanMEDS framework, an educational framework for physicians used in Canada, defined competencies that physicians require to meet patients' needs, all of which can be cultivated through mentorship activities. The Advocacy Mentorship Initiative (AMI) at the University of Toronto used a cascading mentorship model (CMM), whereby resident mentors (RMs) mentored undergraduate medical student mentors (MSMs), who in turn mentored youth raised in at-risk environments. Both RMs and MSMs were mentored by the AMI programme lead, a staff psychiatrist, with expertise in child and adolescent psychiatry. The research question of this study was as follows: What were the merits of using a CMM in enhancing the knowledge, competencies and residency experiences of RMs in AMI? DESIGN: Qualitative interview study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: RMs involved in AMI from January 2017 to December 2020 were invited to participate in the study. A total of 11 RMs agreed to participate. METHODS: Interviews were conducted to canvas participants about how AMI impacted them, and these were recorded, transcribed and anonymised. Braun and Clarke's approach to thematic analysis was used to identify 'subthemes' and 'themes'. RESULTS: Eleven RMs participated in the study. A major theme identified was how AMI enhanced the medical learner experience by augmenting the educational experience of MSMs, strengthening RMs' values and attitudes, and strengthening RMs' knowledge and competencies. The second theme captured was the effective facets of a mentorship programme in AMI, including the CMM, and collaborative and inclusive relationships between mentors and mentees. CONCLUSIONS: RMs identified that the CMM of AMI cultivated CanMEDS competencies in medical learners; deepened medical learners' understanding of social determinants of health; and offered a bidirectional approach to teaching and learning between MSMs and RMs. MSMs and RMs also learnt from the staff psychiatrist.

An Exploratory Survey of Career Choice, Training, and Practice Trends in Early Career Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists and Fellows.

OBJECTIVE: A pilot survey was created to sample early career child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAPs) and fellows to identify factors contributing to recruitment, satisfaction, and general practice trends. METHOD: A 44-item survey was developed based on a previous study of early career CAPs and discussion at an early career forum. Participants were recruited at a professional meeting and through emails sent to all 125 US training program directors. RESULTS: Only 184 out of 2209 responses were received. Approximately two-thirds were female and one-third had completed fellowship. Most decided to pursue a career in child psychiatry during medical school and expected full time salaries between $175,000 and $250,000 after fellowship. Forty-five percent owed more than $150,000 in educational debt. The top reasons for pursuing a career in child psychiatry included the following: working with children, working in an interesting field, and helping society. Males (x = 85.7, SD 22.9) compared with females (x = 77.5, SD 25.3) were more interested in pursuing full time work. A higher proportion of participants were confident in prescribing medications (x = 79.9, SD 17.1) compared with providing psychotherapy (X = 63.3, SD 23.9). CONCLUSIONS: The vast majority of early career CAPs were recruited during medical school, motivated by altruistic reasons, and rated high confidence in their career choice despite significant student loan debt. Training directors should consider increasing competency in psychotherapeutic skills. Early child psychiatry exposure and a means of addressing physician debt are needed to improve recruitment to this specialty.

A National Pediatric Telepsychiatry Curriculum for Graduate Medical Education and Continuing Medical Education.

Objectives: Our goal was to develop an open access nationally disseminated online curriculum for use in graduate and continuing medical education on the topic of pediatric telepsychiatry to enhance the uptake of telepsychiatry among child psychiatry training programs and improve access to mental health care for youth and families. Methods: Following Kern's 6-stage model of curriculum development, we identified a core problem, conducted a needs assessment, developed broad goals and measurable objectives in a competency-based model, and developed educational content and methods. The curriculum was reviewed by experts and feedback incorporated. Given the urgent need for such a curriculum due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the curriculum was immediately posted on the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training websites. Further evaluation will be conducted over the next year. Results: The curriculum covers the six areas of core competence adapted for pediatric telepsychiatry and includes teaching content and resources, evaluation tools, and information about other resources. Conclusion: This online curriculum is available online and provides an important resource and set of standards for pediatric telepsychiatry training. Its online format allows for ongoing revision as the telepsychiatry landscape changes.

The Path to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

The United States has a critical shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists such that 70% of counties in the United States do not have any child and adolescent psychiatrists.1 Since 2014, the number of US and Canadian medical school applicants to psychiatry residencies has increased by 69%; however, the number of child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship applicants has increased by only 11%.2 Up to two-thirds of psychiatry residents report considering a career in child and adolescent psychiatry; however, only one-fourth of residents ultimately apply for a child and adolescent psychiatry subspecialty training.3,4 We surveyed child and adolescent psychiatry fellows across the country to understand the different pathways into child and adolescent psychiatry, with the hope of providing program directors' and faculty mentors' guidance on how to generate interest in child and adolescent psychiatry and to support residents in this pursuit.

A certificate in youth psychiatry: meeting the training needs of psychiatrists.

OBJECTIVE: This paper provides the rationale for the development of sub-specialty training in youth psychiatry. METHOD: Training needs for youth psychiatry are discussed and the opportunities provided by sub-specialisation in youth psychiatry are presented. RESULTS: The majority of mental disorders have their onset prior to 25 years. There has been substantial recent growth in services to meet the clinical needs of young people. The development of these services has exposed gaps in current training for psychiatrists, which varies considerably between child and adolescent, and adult psychiatry. Competencies acquired by psychiatrists in youth mental health are non-standardised, which may hinder optimal care. CONCLUSIONS: Sub-specialty training in youth psychiatry is needed to meet workforce demands. The development of a certificate in youth psychiatry, by the RANZCP Section for Youth Mental Health, is underway. This will complement existing training and provide trainees and psychiatrists the opportunity to develop specialist skills in the provision of mental health care for young people negotiating the transition between adolescence and adulthood.

Integrating Measurement-Based Care into Trainee Education.

Although there is no published literature on the use of rating scales in child and adolescent psychiatry fellowships, there is evidence of use of rating scales in other residency programs including general psychiatry, pediatrics, and family medicine. The authors surveyed the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training listserv inquiring how rating scales are used in child and adolescent psychiatry training programs. Results included the use of specific rating scales, if they are optional or required, presence or absence of didactics, perception of rating instruments by fellows and faculty, integration with quality improvement projects, and use in practice after graduation.