Pediatric Behavioral Health for 6-12 year olds

Every Thursday, 8:00 – 9:00AM

12 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ & Social Work CEUs available

About 19% of children in Illinois ages 6-12 have received a diagnosis for a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder (NSCH, 2023).  The COVID-19 pandemic and the disruption to their daily lives had a significant negative impact on children under the age of 12 (Ng and Ng, 2022). A report by the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago (2025) examined mental health symptoms at four time points – June 2022, May 2023, October 2023, and March 2024. Even a year after the declared end of the pandemic, nearly half of the youth in the study continued to have one or more worsening mental health symptom. The most frequently reported mental health symptoms were related to irritability and worry/anxiousness. Many families face challenges in accessing mental health care for their children. About 28% of parents reported that it was “very difficult” or “not possible to obtain” mental health treatment or counseling for their 6-11 year old, and another 28% reported that it was “somewhat difficult” (NSCH, 2023). Left untreated, mental health issues can have a significantly worsen and result in poor academic performance, social difficulties, substance use, and suicide (NAMI, 2025). The goal of this ECHO series is to establish a shared developmental and functional framework for pediatric mental health in primary care for 6-12 year old children; apply a stepped-care and population-health approach to common pediatric mental health conditions in this school-age population, and integrate screening, assessment, brief intervention, and consultation into routine primary care workflows.

Topics for Case-Based Learning and Discussion Include:

• Case – based differential diagnosis Conceptual Approach & Epidemiology
  
• Mental Health Screening
• ADHD & Disruptive Behavior- Evaluation and Diagnosis
• ADHD & Disruptive Behavior – Treatment PMT + Accommodations
• ADHD & Disruptive Behavior – Stimulant Medications + Non-stimulant
• Anxiety Disorders – Recognition & Functional Assessment
• Anxiety Disorders – Anticipatory guidance, CBT, School avoidance
• Anxiety Disorders – SSRIs
• Depression – Recognition and Assessment
• Suicide Screening & Safety Planning
• Autism Pharmacologic Strategies Beyond SSRIs
• Trauma & Stress
• Screen time & Mental Health