Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care (PPP) Training Program - June 2026

Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care (PPP), hosted by the REACH Institute, trains clinicians to diagnose and treat mental health conditions they see every day in practice. This program will teach participants to manage the most common issues themselves, saving referrals to mental health specialists for complex cases.

Participants learn not only to diagnose and treat patients but also to refer families to appropriate supports such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Participants will leave the training with tools that can be used immediately:

• Validated assessments to get data from patients and families
• Clinical guidelines for differential diagnosis
• Quick-reference medication guides
• Sample forms for referring patients to psychotherapy
   

After the training, participants will be more confident in their diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues.

Our world-class faculty of pediatricians, developmental-behavioral pediatricians, clinical nurse specialists, and child and adolescent psychiatrists will help participants transform their practice, increase their productivity, and improve their work satisfaction.

Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care has two components:

• A dynamic three-day, 16.25-hour interactive course focused on building skills and confidence in diagnosing and treating pediatric behavioral health problems.
• A four-month case-based follow-up program. Participants join eight bimonthly, one-hour group conference calls with national primary care and child/adolescent psychiatry experts to solidify their learning.

Participants can earn AMA Category 1 and ANCC credits for both components.

Course Goals
In this course, participants will learn to:

• Correctly identify and differentiate among pediatric behavioral health problems such as depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, anxiety states (including PTSD), oppositional and conduct disorders, and psychosis.
• Effectively manage psychopharmacology: select medications, initiate and taper dosages, monitor improvements, and identify and minimize medication side effects.
• Create and implement a treatment plan by mobilizing existing resources like family members, school personnel, and other professional caregivers.