Psychotropic medication prescribing practices for children and youth with serious behavioral health challenges are currently at the forefront of state reform efforts. Populations of children and youth served through the CME approach are often among the most vulnerable to being misdiagnosed and over medicated.
It is essential that CMEs have the ability to educate families, pediatricians and other providers on the use of psychotropic medications, and to facilitate and incorporate best prescribing practices for the children and youth they serve. This 90-minute webinar provided an overview of the current landscape related to efforts to improve psychotropic medication management and prescribing practices for youth, particularly those involved with Child Welfare; and highlighted: (1) Medication management strategies and medication reduction efforts employed by Wraparound Milwaukee; and (2) The medication reduction initiative and best practice strategies underway in Massachusetts, including provider identification and education, education to families, and the use of algorithms to identify and manage outliers.
Agenda
I. Introduction
Speaker: Dayana Simons, Senior Program Officer, CHCS
II. Presentations: Psychotropic Medication
Speaker: Kamala Allen, Director of Child Health Quality, Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc. (CHCS)
Ms. Allen gave an overview of current efforts related to the use of psychotropic medication with children and provided an introduction and brief context for the presentations.
Speaker: John Straus, Vice President, Medical Affairs, Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership
Dr. Straus discussed psychotropic medication reduction efforts in Massachusetts including identifying measures and data collection strategies and the role of psychiatry in CMEs.
Speaker: Dennis Kozel, Medical Director, Bruce Kamradt, Administrator; Wraparound Milwaukee
Dr. Kozel and Mr. Kamradt described the medication management approach used by Wraparound Milwaukee in its clinics, and medication reduction efforts Wraparound Milwaukee has engaged in around the use of psychotropic medications with youth, families, providers and other professional partners.
