GOALS & OBJECTIVES
The Purpose of this project will be to foster joint pediatrics-child psychiatry continuing education in the psychosocial-developmental aspects of child health, utilizing a study group approach that emphasizes the practical challenges confronted by community-based practitioners. The following goals and objectives for COR Group participants are proposed: Goal #1: Enhance understanding and competence in the psychosocial aspects of pediatrics. Objectives: A) Increase knowledge of developmental variation, progression, and deviation in children of all ages. Improve ability to view child behaviors and symptoms within a developmental context. B) Enhance the ability to work effectively with parents and families in supporting the developmental and adaptation of the child. C) Improve interviewing and counseling skills. D) Enhance participants' appreciation of the psychosocial implications of chronic illness and handicapping conditions. E) Increase competence in recognizing and understanding the effects of specific cultural and linguistic contexts for child development and for developmental-behavioral differences and disorders. F) Expand participants' ability to discriminate between transient disturbances and more serious psychiatric disorders. Goal #2: Enhance professional effectiveness and satisfaction by demystifying psychosocial problems and broadening the scope of practice. Objectives: A) Heighten awareness of the scope of participants' competencies, and potential for treating the whole child. Facilitate a more comprehensive approach to health supervision, such as that envisaged in Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children and Adolescents. B) Promote self-awareness with respect to personal reactions to difficult patients and clinical dilemmas. C) Enhance the participants' understanding of the expertise and methods of child psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, and strengthen their orientation to appropriately consult with or refer to them.

METHODOLOGY
Composition: The COR Group will be composed of: 1) two faculty moderators, one a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and the other a child psychiatrist; 2) between eight and twelve community-based, primary care pediatric practitioners. Commitment to full year attendance will be a prerequisite. Timing of Meetings: the COR Group will meet one time per month for two hours per session, throughout the year. Format: the COR format will center on the individual case material, and topical interests, of the participants themselves. The co-moderators share a particular interest in teaching clinicians how to approach behavioral and developmental problems. To this end, clinical cases are reviewed in detail to fully appreciate the clinical problem and the clinician's options. In particular, process aspects of child, parent, and family interviewing is seen as a central component of the clinical approach and receives substantial focus in COR case discussions. COR participants also introduce topics and issues connected with: advances and controversies in developmental-behavioral pediatrics, shared clinical and informational resources, experiences and dilemmas connected with community agencies, and health care policies and programs at the regional, state and national levels. Experiences and challenges related to cultural differences and pediatric care are a regular focus of the COR program.

COORDINATION

EVALUATION
Monitoring and evaluation of the proposed goals and objectives will have three components: 1) a group discussion conducted during the first meeting of the new year- i.e. the January meeting-to focus on preceived areas of need in behavioral and developmental knowledge and skills; 2) evaluative discussions throughout the year regarding participants' interests and ongoing needs and regarding the format and activities of the group; 3) an end-of-the-year written review, distributed as a questionnaire to each participant by email, to include an updated individual needs assessment as well as requests for participants to evaluate the content, format, effectiveness, and value of the Group meetings. A more global, but highly important outcome for monitoring, will be the attendance level of the participants throughout the year.

ANNOTATION
UCSF's COR for Pediatric Practitioners is a monthly, year-long, case-based study group approach for 10-12 primary care clinicians with leadership from a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and a child/adolescent psychiatrist. The purpose of the COR Group is to foster joint pediatrics-child psychiatry continuing education in the psychosocial-developmental aspects of child health. The format of the COR meetings center on the individual case material, and topical interests, of the participants.

KEYWORDS
Collaborative Office Rounds, COR Group, Psychosocial Training for Pediatricians, Continuing Education for Pediatric Practitioners, Family-Focused Pediatrics, Child Psychiatry Consultation, Maternal and Child Health, Bright Futures