Posts by The REACH Institute
Social Media & Pediatric Mental Health
Insights from Dr. Jasmine Reese ahead of an upcoming episode of REACHing Solutions, a new podcast series from The REACH Institute Social media is woven into nearly every part of young people’s lives. Recent data shows that about 93% of U.S. teens (ages 13–17) use at least one social media app. For many kids and…
Read MorePPP Training Program – virtual PT schedule: Feb 2026
The Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care (PPP) Mini-Fellowship increases clinicians’ comfort with assessing, diagnosing, and treating pediatric mental health concerns. Participants can earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ by completing the mini-fellowship components: (a) A dynamic three-day course, followed by (b) eight case-based, group learning calls. Read more about the course here…
Read MoreBullying and Pediatric Mental Health: What Primary Care Providers Should Know
“Kids seldom come into your office and say, ‘I want to talk about bullying,’” explains REACH faculty member Ron Marino, DO/MPH. “Often, as clinicians, the only indication we have that a child is being bullied are changes in their behavior or new mental health symptoms. It’s our job to notice these changes and take appropriate…
Read MoreAdult ADHD: A Family Affair
“Most primary care providers aren’t new to seeing adults with ADHD,” explains Kathleen McCoy, DNSc, who specializes in family psychiatric mental health and integrative care. “What’s changing is our understanding of the condition and how to help adults manage it well, often while also supporting their children with ADHD.” More than half of the estimated…
Read MorePCPs Are on the Front Lines of Suicide Prevention: Tools to Feel More Confident Having the Hard Conversations
“The first time you ask a kid about suicide, it’s scary,” explains Eugene Hershorin, MD, a developmental pediatrician and REACH faculty member. “But navigating that fear and asking the question can save a child’s life.” Research shows that primary care providers have a critical role to play in suicide prevention. Among youth, 80% of those…
Read MoreManaging Mental Health Disorders in Adolescent Cannabis Users
“Mental health disorders and substance use are a very common comorbidity, including among youth cannabis users,” shares child and adolescent psychiatrist Blair Ritchie, MD FRCPC. With 40% of youth reporting prior cannabis use, pediatric primary care providers are increasingly likely to see patients in this population who also have mental health needs. Research on the…
Read MorePPP Training Program – In-person; St. Petersburg, FL
The Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care (PPP) Mini-Fellowship increases clinicians’ comfort with assessing, diagnosing, and treating pediatric mental health concerns. Participants can earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ by completing the mini-fellowship components: (a) A dynamic three-day course, followed by (b) twelve case-based, group learning calls. Only 5 spaces available. Register by January…
Read MoreCulturally Responsive Parent Empowerment and Children’s Mental Health
“Parents want to feel like they’re part of the solution for their child’s mental health needs. As pediatric primary care providers, we can help make that possible by being thoughtful in how we navigate cultural differences,” explains Noor Jihan Abdul-Haqq, MD, a REACH faculty member and pediatrician with her own practice in Oklahoma City, OK.…
Read MoreMental Health Care for Under- or Uninsured Pediatric Patients
“Evaluating and treating mental health problems in under- or uninsured pediatric patients often presents more challenges, but it is even more rewarding when you are able to provide life-changing mental health care,” explains Natalie Robiou, MD, a pediatric primary care provider at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Philadelphia, PA. The number of pediatric…
Read MoreREACH Founder Dr. Peter Jensen, M.D. Responds to New York Times Article, “Have We Been Thinking About A.D.H.D. All Wrong?”
“It depends.” That’s my response (and that of most of my clinician-scientist colleagues who participated in the MTA study) to Paul Tough’s recent commentary. For context, from 1990-2000 I served as Associate Director for Child & Adolescent Research at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and was the NIMH scientist responsible for initiating and…
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