Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 2820 RAPPORT | Notes & News ccording to the American Academy of Pedi- atrics, although one in five children in the United States suffers from a diagnosable men- tal health disorder, only 21 percent of affected children actually receive needed treatment. Sadly, Boston’s children’s mental health mirrors na- tional trends, which is that more children suffer with more and more severe mental health issues every year. 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ³ÉÈËÔÚÏß is dedicated to teaching and training the next generation of child mental health practitioners, as well as to advanc- ing awareness and access to mental health care for all. Toward that end, 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ³ÉÈËÔÚÏß was recently awarded a grant by the John Leopold Weil and Geraldine Rickard Weil Memorial Charitable Foundation for training pediatricians and pediat- ric nurse practitioners through a special certifica- tion program developed by Howard King, MD, a Newton pediatrician, to recognize, diagnose and, if appropriate, refer patients and their parents with mental health problems to intervention ser- vices. Through this grant, outreach to pediatric offices throughout greater Boston will enable at least 10 pediatric practitioners to be certified by the end of 2016, which has the potential to impact the psychosocial health of at least 15,000 children. The Weil Foundation was created in 1999 through the bequest and in memory of John and Geraldine Weil, who dedicated their adult lives to helping children heal emotionally. The Weil Foundation is dedicated to carrying on the legacy of the Drs. Weil by working to ameliorate child abuse in all forms. The efforts of the Weil Foun- dation are focused on children under the age of 10 in the greater Boston area. John Weil, MD, a psychiatrist, was a pioneer in the study and treatment of the emotional effects of physical and sexual abuse of young children and presented his theories by writing three books. Geraldine Rickard Weil, PhD, a psychologist, was an innovator in the study of child development. Among her many accomplishments in advancing the welfare of children, she created, with retired William James Faculty Member, Haskel Cohen, PhD, the Tasks of Emotional Development (TED) test in 1971, which is still widely used in schools for the assessment of children today. Though primary care providers (pediatricians and others) are often the gatekeepers for identi- fying mental health disorders in children, these providers often lack the time and expertise to identify and manage mental health disorders. Studies indicate that primary care providers require additional training to successfully iden- tify mental health concerns in their patients and patients’ parents. Some pediatricians, the research suggests, feel not only incapable of iden- tifying and discussing children’s psychosocial health, but also uncomfortable. King’s approach is designed to facilitate earlier diagnosis and treatment of emotional disorders. He built an innovative approach to physician-patient com- munication by which physicians, parents and the community collaborate to improve the delivery of compassionate behavioral, emotional and psy- chosocial care for children and adolescents. 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ³ÉÈËÔÚÏß’s Nadja Reilly, PhD an experienced clinical psychologist; Claudia Gold, MD, pediatrician and writer with experi- ence addressing children’s mental health needs, and Jenny Hopf, MEd in Higher Education, currently Director of Education Technology, will work with King to develop the six month course at the College. The Weil Foundation College to Train Pediatricians in Child Mental Health through Generous Grant A WILLIAM JAMES COLLEGE HONORS