October 1, 2026
Thank you to our alumni community and supporters for joining us! Your dedication to children's mental health inspired us, and we're excited about what we can accomplish together over the next 20 years. 💚
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Category: Patient communication
Off to College, Not Off the Radar: Preparing Teens for the Transition
September 17, 2026
Insights from Jackie Cotton, MD, based on the latest episode of REACHing Solutions, a podcast from The REACH Institute. For many young people, heading to college is one of the first times they will be responsible for navigating so much on their own. New academic demands. New relationships. New routines. For some, a new city
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Making Time for Mental Health Care: Advice for Pediatric Primary Care Clinicians
February 26, 2026
Insights from Gene Hershorin, MD, based on a newly released episode of REACHing Solutions, a podcast from The REACH Institute. Time — it’s one of the biggest challenges clinicians face when it comes to addressing patients’ mental health in primary care. With short appointments, lengthy documentation, and countless competing demands, how can clinicians effectively tackle
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Pharmacogenomic Testing in Mental Health Care: Practical Guidance for Pediatric PCPs
January 29, 2026
With genetic testing becoming more popular and accessible, many primary care providers wonder whether pharmacogenomic testing (analyzing DNA to understand medication response) is worthwhile when making treatment decisions for patients with mental health conditions. REACH faculty member and clinical psychopharmacologist/psychiatric pharmacist Lynn Crismon, Pharm.D., FCCP, FASCP, DABCP, BCPP, says he is regularly asked about this
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Social Media & Pediatric Mental Health
December 17, 2025
Insights from Dr. Jasmine Reese based on an 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 teens,
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Bullying and Pediatric Mental Health: What Primary Care Clinicians Should Know
November 25, 2025
“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
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How Social Media is Impacting Teens
May 10, 2025
The most important question that we can ask teens isn’t if they use social media, it’s how. Just last May, the Surgeon General’s advisory on social media use in youth exposed some shocking statistics: Among 13 to 17-year-olds, up to 95% use social media, with 35% saying they use social media “almost constantly.”
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Adolescent Cannabis Use and Harm Reduction
February 26, 2025
“We know that 10% of adult cannabis users will develop a substance use disorder or addiction. That number is double in adolescents,” explains child and adolescent psychiatrist Blair Ritchie, MD FRCPC, when describing one of the many research-documented risks of youth cannabis use. Cannabis is increasingly seen as socially acceptable and low risk. In the
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How Clinicians Can Partner with Schools to Support Pediatric Patients
January 30, 2025
“Clinicians who are aware of and know how to direct parents to obtain services for children within the school system can make an enormous difference for patients and families,” explains Dr. Mark Wolraich, MD, a REACH faculty member and retired professor of pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The challenge for clinicians
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When parents’ mental health affects children
January 23, 2024
“When we’re thinking about children’s mental health, we’re also thinking about the health of the family unit,” explains Alyx Holden, MD. “In order for children’s neurobiology to develop, they need the support and context of healthy caregivers.”
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September 26, 2026
Thank you to the dedicated clinicians who joined our inaugural Alumni Conference! It was a wonderful day of learning, connecting, and sharing ideas. It's always heartening to bring our community together, and it continues to inspire…
September 22, 2026
Suicide prevention is not limited to one setting or one type of clinician. Children and adolescents may first share concerns about their mental health with a trusted pediatrician or primary care clinician, making it especially important…
September 16, 2026
What happens when primary care clinicians are given more tools to address children’s mental health? This article from Cook Children’s Health Care System shares how REACH training helped equip pediatricians with practical tools to more confidently…
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