Georgetown University

Problem:

One in five youth faces often unidentified and untreated mental health problems. The Bright Futures mental health guide is not readily accessible to providers without training. This project will develop an online mental health curriculum that can be applied in multiple settings, with special emphasis on minority populations and providers.

Goals and Objectives:

Goal 1: Enhance providers' knowledge, skills, and attitudes in assessing and promoting mental health during preventive care visits. Obj. 1: Develop core training modules based on the developmental chapters in Bright Futures in Practice: Mental Health. Obj. 2: Create an online guide for promoting healthy mental development. Goal 2: Improve providers' capacities in identifying and treating mental health concerns early and efficiently. Obj. 1: Create a resource module on identification and management of psychosocial problems and mental disorders affecting children and youth. Obj. 2: Provide a brief online primer for each disorder. Goal 3: Integrate family-centered strategies to support healthy mental development in minority families (i.e., those with diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds). Obj. 1: Create a strengths-based module on supporting healthy mental development in families. Obj. 2: Develop an interdisciplinary module on developmental and behavioral patterns in diverse cultures. Goal 4: Strengthen MCH providers' leadership competencies. Obj. 1: Integrate teaching tools through curriculum to advance clinical skills in promoting family-centered mental health to members of different cultures, races, and ethnicities. Obj. 2: Develop a module on MCH leadership competencies promoting child and family mental health; offer modules and entire course through CME and CE mechanisms. Goal 5: Advance a community-based, coordinated systems of care approach between mental health and public/primary care services for children and families. Obj. 1: Develop a module on coordinating systems of care in pediatric mental health, bridging Bright Futures in Practice: Mental Health and Building Systems of Care: A Primer. Obj. 2: Develop an interactive “Community of Learners” page of current professional materials that users can post comments to use to interact with others. Promoting Healthy Mental Development: A Bright Futures Online Curriculum Project Abstract J. Richards

Methodology:

• Create 4 core modules on healthy mental development • Develop an electronic toolkit of credible mental health tools and resources • Create a resource module on major mental health disorders in children/teens • Develop quick-reference electronic fact sheets on each of these disorders • Create modules on (1) family-centered, culturally appropriate care for diverse populations, including Medicaid-eligible families; (2) developmental and behavioral patterns in diverse cultures; (3) MCH leadership competencies; and (4) a systems of care approach. • Integrate multiple training strategies, including case-based examples • Promote and disseminate the curriculum through print and electronic mailings, press releases, discussion lists, newsletters, exhibits, and other outreach efforts • Convene a meeting of new MCHB distance learning grantees • Offer continuing (medical) education (CME) and CE credits through Georgetown University • Identify the role of primary care in community-based systems (e.g., screening, assessment and evaluation; outreach and referral; care coordination; connection to neighborhood resources; community mapping). Healthy People 2010 Objectives: The project will address (among others) HP Goal 18-7: Increase the proportion of children with mental health problems who receive treatment. HP Goal 1-3: Increase the proportion of persons appropriately counseled about health behaviors. HP Goal 1-7: Increase the proportion of schools of medicine, schools of nursing, and other health professional training schools whose basic curriculum for health care providers includes core competencies in health promotion/illness prevention.

Coordination:

The project will coordinate with the following agencies or organizations in curriculum development, specifically as advisors or as content reviewers and/or pilot-testing sites: Arkansas, Minnesota, Louisiana, and Massachusetts Departments of Health; Florida's House of Representatives, Whole Child Project, and DISC Village; Developing Families Center; Global Health and Underserved Populations Group; Milagros Center for Excellence; National Center for Cultural Competence; National Technical Assistance Center for Children's Mental Health; and the MCH Library.

Evaluation:

The Promoting Healthy Mental Development distance learning project will: (1) Conduct usability testing with target audiences; (2) Coordinate state review of curriculum; (3) Develop and administer online methods to evaluate course; (4) Administer online methods to evaluate users' knowledge, skills, and attitudes; (5) Conduct a follow-up survey via e-mail 6 months after users complete the course; and (6) Compile and analyze Web statistics.