National Nonprofit Improves Access to Children’s Mental Health Care with New Partnership, Free Mental Health Training & Scholarship Opportunities for PCPs

New York, May 11, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In support of Mental Health Awareness Month, The REACH Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that the most effective, scientifically proven mental health care reaches all children and families, has announced several targeted efforts to improve access to children’s mental health care nationwide, by increasing their evidence-based mental health training for primary care providers.

A partnership between The REACH Institute and Resilient Georgia, a statewide initiative focused on providing resources and building resilience in children and families who have experienced adversity, aims to expand the child mental health workforce, by training more pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) throughout Georgia in REACH’s flagship course, Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care (PPP). Led by national leaders in child psychiatry, psychology, and pediatrics, the PPP course equips PCPs with the skills and tools to identify, assess, and treat common mental health issues, like ADHD, anxiety, and depression, within their own offices. The REACH-Resilient Georgia collaboration comes at a critical time when access to effective mental health services for children is more important than ever.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Resilient Georgia to address the children’s mental health crisis,” said Dr. Lisa Hunter Romanelli, CEO at The REACH Institute. “Primary care providers are on the front lines of this crisis. REACH training strengthens their abilities to provide effective mental health care to the children who need it most.” REACH’s PPP course is an intensive 3-day program, followed by 6 months of case-based learning calls. To date, REACH has trained over 6,000 PCPs nationwide.

“Resilient Georgia is dedicated to healing adversity and promoting resiliency in children and families,” said Emily Anne Vall, Executive Director of Resilient Georgia. “With this training, primary care providers throughout the state are better equipped to treat pediatric patients and be ‘kid ready’ to help manage common issues through tools such as assessments, clinical guidelines, and medication guides. Our partnership with the Pediatric Health Improvement Coalition (PHIC) and a $222,000 community investment from Aetna have enabled us to get this training to providers who serve some of the most under-resourced areas of the state.”

Also announced today, thanks to a generous donation for the second year in a row, REACH is able to provide FREE mental health training for up to 150 PCPs currently practicing in the Greater Atlanta area. “We are so grateful for the opportunity to train more clinicians in Atlanta,” said Dr. Romanelli. “REACH-trained providers are making a positive impact in the lives of their patients and in their communities.” To be considered for this free mental health training opportunity, applicants must be a pediatrician, family physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant practicing in the Greater Atlanta area.

REACH also offers donor-funded scholarships to PCPs who serve under-resourced communities throughout the U.S. The application process for the next round of scholarships will open on Monday, May 15, 2023.

For more information about REACH’s scholarship opportunities, free mental health training in Atlanta, upcoming training courses, including CBT for Anxiety in Pediatric Primary Care, and free resources for providers and parents, visit: www.thereachinstitute.org.        

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About The REACH Institute:

The REACH Institute is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that the most effective, scientifically proven mental health care reaches all children and families. Led by national experts in child psychiatry, psychology, and pediatrics, REACH has been increasing the nation’s capacity to help families with mental health issues since 2006. Their evidenced-based training programs equip primary care providers, mental health clinicians, health care institutions, educators, and caregivers on the most advanced therapies to better diagnose, treat and manage child and adult mental health issues. More trained providers means better access for hundreds of thousands of suffering families. To learn more about The REACH Institute and their training programs, visit: www.thereachinstitute.org

About Resilient Georgia:

Resilient Georgia is a statewide coalition of more than 900 partners committed to building a stronger, more resilient Georgia. Through a network of public and private partners, Resilient Georgia is creating a pipeline of trauma-informed behavioral health services and resources that support children and families who have experienced adversity. This integrated system includes prevention, early intervention, research, advocacy and policy, and care implementation and coordination. Learn more at resilientga.org.

About The Pediatric Healthcare Improvement Coalition of Georgia, Inc. (PHIC)

The Pediatric Healthcare Improvement Coalition of Georgia, Inc. (PHIC), a collaboration between Georgia’s pediatric medical hospitals and pediatricians, is a unique partnership that formally incorporated as a nonprofit in February 2013.  The PHIC is a statewide network of five children’s hospital systems united to improve health outcomes for children and sustain quality pediatric care in Georgia.  Its Board of Directors includes representation from each of the five hospitals and includes one community member.  The children’s hospitals include Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Children’s Hospital of Georgia in Augusta, University Health Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital in Macon, The Children’s Hospital at Piedmont Columbus Regional and The Dwaine & Cynthia Willett Children’s Hospital of Savannah.