General Inpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Hawthorn Children’s Psychiatric Hospital

The nature of patient care at Hawthorn is interdisciplinary.

• Assessing patients admitted from emergency room settings
• Conducting patient and family-centered evaluations of severe disorders
• Observing and interpreting family relationships and their pertinence to the child’s presenting problems
• Appreciating the role of the family in the assessment and treatment regardless of the age of the patient
• Producing differential diagnosis and dynamic case formulation of psychiatric symptomatology and appreciating the importance of biologic, psychologic, and socio-cultural aspects of symptoms
• Becoming familiar with psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic approaches to severe disorders
• Understanding behavior modification and level systems in treatment
• Planning dispositions for return as an outpatient or less restrictive care system

The fellow will gain medical knowledge through a combination of supervised clinical activities, mandatory divisional didactics, and supervised reading of pertinent or related literature.

• Knowing the strengths and limitations of the current DSM diagnostic criteria
• Understanding the appropriate use of laboratory testing
• Understanding the appropriate use of adjunct medical consultation

In addition to supervised clinical activities and self-initiated and suggested readings, the fellow will participate in 1:1 supervision by faculty at Hawthorn and other divisional supervision including individual and team supervision.

• Continuing to appraise oneself of current knowledge concerning the pathogenesis and etiology of psychiatric disorders
• Becoming familiar with the appropriate use of psychological testing
• Gaining administrative experience in ward management
• Appreciating historical, cultural, legal, and ethical aspects of inpatient child/adolescent psychiatry

The fellow will demonstrate sensitivity and compassion to children, adolescents, and to their families/caretakers affected by serious psychopathology and will continue to develop relationships with other professionals or professionals in training, including supervisors, colleagues, students, and allied professionals.

• Developing intra-professionally by managing their own emotional reactions to severe youth psychopathology
• Demonstrating the ability to function as a cooperative member of a multi-disciplinary therapeutic team
• Demonstrating a commitment to continued professional development

The fellow will effectively communicate with patients, their families/caretakers, and all other members of the treatment team.

• Conducting age-appropriate interview techniques, as well as comprehensive mental status examination on children and adolescents
• Talking with and obtaining a history from patients, family members, and all others involved in the caretaking system of the patient (DFS social worker, teacher, etc.)
• Presenting cases succinctly and accurately

• Understanding the roles of other mental health professionals including psychologists, nursing staff, social workers, educational therapists, activity therapists, etc.
• Interacting with social and legal agencies in the management of child/adolescent psychiatric disorders