A Model CSMH Curriculum for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Training Programs

Abstract

Child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAP) care for high school students preparing to enter college. They also may continue to see students while on school vacations and may care for college students in various settings (emergency room, inpatient hospital unit, private practice, college student health service, or counseling center). As increasing numbers of students with mental health diagnoses pursue secondary education, CAP need to be knowledgeable about campus systems of care, principles of transition, and privacy and educational laws affecting college students. This article describes an informal needs assessment of general CAP members of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and details the results of a survey of CAP program directors on training opportunities in college student mental health (CSMH). The authors present a sample curriculum for a clinical rotation in CSMH, as well as providing ideas for core didactic lectures, and proposing the development of online resources to reduce the burden of creating new lectures and standardize experiences among training programs.