A new pilot program at Four County Counseling Center is using preventive measures to identify children experiencing trauma that may lead to chronic illnesses.
Integrated and Coordinated Child and Adolescent Psychiatry uses the Adverse Childhood Experiences study to help children. The ACE study is a national study that hones in on the association between childhood maltreatment and later-life health and well-being.
The idea for ICCAP is extremely new. Medicine clinic patients previously only saw a doctor and a nurse, but because those patients had such individual needs, Four County staffers decided to create a program to address their needs beyond medicine.
ICCAP is geared to try to identify children going through issues and to stop chronic problems, according to Tim Gearhart, vice president of community-based programs at Four County.
Donna Henry, vice president of clinical and residential services at Four County, agreed.
“It used to be children would visit the psychologist, get medication and go home, but that is not the case anymore,” Henry said.
The study ties environmental situations to physical problems in adulthood, Gearhart said. A lot of children have gone through traumatic things, making them at risk for illnesses, Gearhart said.
“Instead of leaving with medicine, there is more integrated care,” Gearhart said.
http://www.pharostribune.com/local/x651196238/Program-linking-physical-mental-health
Comments (0)