School and Psychiatry Collaboration

As child and adolescent psychiatrists, sometimes we can feel stuck trying to support our patients and their families with a short visit every few weeks or months, when most of the difficulties are happening outside the office, especially at school. Parents come in describing the many phone calls home, suspensions, or failing grades. Although some of this is affected by the need to better support their hyperactivity and impulsivity or depression leading to frustration tolerance, it is also clear that support in school is essential. It is often hard to establish these connections to ensure that there is an appropriate Individualized Education Program (IEP) or more global behavioral support available at the school. Being able to find ways to develop these connections is essential to ensuring success for our patients.