Caring for Children in Foster Care: Psychotropic Medication Overuse

Activity description

The goal of the foster care system is to promote the well-being of children and adolescents by providing for their health, safety, stability and permanency. There has been increasing alarm over psychotropic medication use for children and youth in foster care across the country. Given the rates of psychotropic drug use among children in foster care, there is growing concern that these medications may be taking the role of an easy fix in managing care, and the results can be tragic. Trends in psychotropic medication usage that are of serious concern include the practice of prescribing numerous drugs in combination, as well as prescribing these powerful medications for very young children. Medications thoughtfully prescribed and properly administered as part of an evidence-based, appropriate overall treatment program can certainly be helpful to a child or youth in need. This activity will discuss the appropriate and inappropriate use of psychotropic medication and the safety and efficacy of these medications among children and youth in foster care.

Provided by
This activity is provided by OptumHealth Education.

Commercial support
This activity is supported by Optum Behavioral Health.
 
Required hardware/software
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Target Audience

This activity is designed to meet the educational needs of case managers, counselors, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, PAs, physicians, psychologists, social workers, therapists and other health care (HCPs) who care for children within the foster care system.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

  • Discuss why there is a high rate of overtreatment with psychotropic medications for children in the foster care system and how to prevent this.
  • Explain how psychotropic medications can change brain chemistry in children 0-12 years of age.
  • Identify alternative therapies that can be used instead of psychotropic medications.

Additional Information

Activity summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 ACPE - Pharmacists
  • 1.00 ACPE - Pharmacy Technicians
  • 1.00 AMA - Physicians
  • 1.00 ANCC - Nurses
  • 1.00 APA - Psychologists
  • 1.00 Attendance - General Attendance
  • 1.00 CCMC - General - Case Managers
  • 1.00 ASWB - Social Workers
Activity opens: 
05/13/2019
Activity expires: 
06/27/2022
Rating: 
0

Presenter
Michael Naylor, MDMichael Naylor, MD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Director, Behavioral Health and Welfare Program
Director, Comprehensive Assessment and Response Training System
Director, Clinical Services in Psychopharmacology
Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Psychiatry
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL

About the presenter
Michael Naylor, MD, is board certified in child and adolescent psychiatry, general psychiatry and sleep disorders medicine and is an expert in child and adolescent mood disorders and psychopharmacology. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, abstracts and book chapters and has presented his work at national meetings. Dr. Naylor received the 2008 Norbert and Charlotte Rieger Service Program Award for Excellence as the Director of the Behavioral Health and Welfare Program.

Activity planners
Sarah Chart, RN
Senior Director
OptumHealth Education
Eden Prairie, MN

Rebecca Gleason, RN, CCM
Activity Manager
OptumHealth Education
Eden Prairie, MN

Disclosures of relevant financial relationships
In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial SupportSM, OptumHealth Education requires all those in the control of activity content to disclose their relevant financial relationships. An individual has a relevant financial relationship if such person (or his/her spouse/partner) has a financial relationship in any amount occurring in the last 12 months with a commercial interest whose products or services relate to the activity content.

OptumHealth Education ensures that the content is independent of commercial bias.

Ms. Chart and Ms. Gleason have indicated that they are employees of and own stock in UnitedHealth Group.

The remaining activity faculty or planners have no financial relationships to disclose.

Method for calculating CE credit
CE credit was calculated by the complexity of content.

Accreditation statement
Joint Accrediation LogoIn support of improving patient care, OptumHealth Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the health care team.

Credit designation statements
IPCE Credit logoThis activity was planned by and for the health care team, and learners will receive 1.00 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.

Nurses
The participant will be awarded up to 1.00 contact hour(s) of credit for attendance and completion of supplemental materials.

Nurse practitioners
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME and ANCC.

Pharmacists/Pharmacy technicians
This activity is approved for 1.00 contact hour ([0.10] CEU) in states that recognize ACPE.
Attending the full program will earn 1.00 contact hour.
Unique Activity Number(s): JA0007123-0000-19-146-H04-P/T

Physicians
OptumHealth Education designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

PAs
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Case managers
The Commission for Case Manager Certification has approved this program for a maximum of 1.00 clock hours for Certified Case Managers (CCM).

Counselors, psychologists, social workers and/or marriage and family therapists
Participants must have attended the entire Web-based activity and completed an evaluation to receive a certificate. Partial credit is not available.

Psychologists
OptumHealth Education is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to offer continuing education for psychologists. OptumHealth Education maintains responsibility for this program. 1.00 CE hour.

Social workers
ACE logoAs a Jointly Accredited Organization, OptumHealth Education is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. OptumHealth Education maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 enduring continuing education credits.

Counselors and/or marriage and family therapists
CA: The Board of Behavioral Sciences has deferred CE course approvals to APA and ASWB for its licensees. See those approvals under Psychologists and Social Workers.
Other States: If your state is not specifically listed, nearly all state Counselor and MFT boards accept either APA or ASWB approval, or are reciprocal with other state licensing board approvals, such as those listed below. Check with your board to be sure.

Attendance
A certificate of attendance will be provided to learners upon completion of activity requirements, enabling participants to register with licensing boards or associations that have not been preapproved for credits. To apply for credit types not listed above, participants should use the procedure established by the specific organization from which they wish to obtain credit.

Available Credit

  • 1.00 ACPE - Pharmacists
  • 1.00 ACPE - Pharmacy Technicians
  • 1.00 AMA - Physicians
  • 1.00 ANCC - Nurses
  • 1.00 APA - Psychologists
  • 1.00 Attendance - General Attendance
  • 1.00 CCMC - General - Case Managers
  • 1.00 ASWB - Social Workers
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