Pediatric Behavioral Health in Disasters: Mitigation

Mitigation strategies are used to reduce the cause, impact, and consequences of a disaster. Trauma-informed systems of care can mitigate trauma and support resilience by acknowledging the impact trauma has on social-emotional and physical functioning. Such an approach has been shown to improve patient engagement, treatment adherence, and health outcomes, and decrease provider stress and burnout. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has provided suggestions for preparing to meet the needs of infants, children, and adolescents using a systems-based approach. Learn more about how systems can collaborate at Building an Effective System of Care to Address Emerging Threats to Infants and Children (AAP) to determine areas where disaster preparedness and response can be strengthened.

Working with Systems

It is recommended that systems in which children live and play (e.g. Emergency Department, medical home, other ambulatory settings, and schools) be trauma-informed. To be trauma-informed is to acknowledge, identify, and support that children may currently be experiencing trauma and possibly have had exposure to previous traumatic events including natural, biologic, and/or manmade disasters. SAMHSA’S Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach identifies four key principles to establishing a trauma-informed system of care. These key principles include: Realizing the widespread impact of trauma and understanding potential pathways to recovery; Recognizing signs and symptoms of trauma in patients; Responding by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures and practices; and Resisting re-traumatization by avoiding unintentional triggers of past traumatic experiences with organization policies and practices.  For more information on implementing a trauma-informed system of care within medical settings, refer to The National Child Traumatic Stress Network Trauma-Informed Integrated Care for Children and Families in Healthcare Settings.

Actionable Steps

The World Health Organization recently recognized that physician-centered individual care and hospital-based programs were inadequate to achieve global health. A population-based approach is recommended to provide multiple levels of intervention to address the health and mental health needs of the total population.

Behavioral health clinicians can mobilize the workforce to prepare for the psychological needs of children exposed to disasters through psychoeducation on risk and resilience factors, trauma reactions in children, collective trauma, and vicarious/secondary trauma.

 

Complete the module on PPN Learn and follow the instructions provided at the end of the learning activity to claim your CE credit or PPN Certificate of Participation.

 

Certificate & Completion Information

This course is one of four Pediatric Behavioral Health in Disasters courses. Complete all 4 courses and their associated requirements to earn an overall Certificate of Completion. Once all 4 are complete, Click Here to claim your certificate.

To check your progress toward the Certificate of Completion, Click Here.

Target Audience

  • Nurses
  • Nurse Practitioners
  • Physicians
  • Physician Assistants
  • Psychologists
  • Social Workers

Learning Objectives

  1. Identify 3 ways in which the behavioral health clinician can be involved in supporting a trauma-informed system of care in the medical setting.
  2. Recognize common warning signs of trauma exposure response.
  3. Identify 3 behavioral health-related interventions that can be included in primary care office disaster mitigation or preparedness plans.

Course summary

Available credit: 
  • 1.00 ACPE Pharmacist
    Children’s National Hospital is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This program meets ACPE criteria for 1.00 contact hours.
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    Children's National Hospital designates this Enduring activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 1.00 ANCC
    Children's National Hospital will provide 1.00 Nursing Contact Hours for this Enduring activity.
  • 1.00 APA
    Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. All confirmed participants will earn 1.00 CE credits upon successful completion of the learning event and evaluation.
  • 1.00 ASWB
    As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Children’s National Hospital 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. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 continuing education credits.
    • 1.00 General
  • 1.00 Participation
    Successful completion of this continuing education activity.
Course opens: 
01/10/2025
Course expires: 
01/10/2028
Part of: 
Pediatric Behavioral Health in Disasters
Rating: 
0

Joint Accreditation Statement

In support of improving patient care, Children's National Hospital 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 healthcare team. Children’s National Hospital Accreditation Provider# 4008362. 

Credit Designation Statements

Physicians: Children’s National Hospital designates this live/enduring activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for physicians. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses: Children’s National Hospital designates this activity for a maximum of 1.0 enduring ANCC contact hours.

Pharmacists: Children’s National Hospital is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This program meets ACPE criteria for 1.0 contact hours.

Psychologists: Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. All confirmed participants will earn 1.0 CE credits (Instructional Level, Intermediate Learning) upon successful completion of the learning event and evaluation.

Social Workers: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Children’s National Hospital 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. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 1.0 general continuing education credits.

PPN: The Pediatric Pandemic Network designates this activity for a maximum of 1.0 PPN contact hours.

Relevant Financial Relationships

The planning committee and presenters have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Financial and In-Kind Commercial Support

No financial or in-kind commercial support was received for this education activity.

 

Available Credit

  • 1.00 ACPE Pharmacist
    Children’s National Hospital is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This program meets ACPE criteria for 1.00 contact hours.
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    Children's National Hospital designates this Enduring activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
  • 1.00 ANCC
    Children's National Hospital will provide 1.00 Nursing Contact Hours for this Enduring activity.
  • 1.00 APA
    Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. All confirmed participants will earn 1.00 CE credits upon successful completion of the learning event and evaluation.
  • 1.00 ASWB
    As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Children’s National Hospital 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. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 1.00 continuing education credits.
    • 1.00 General
  • 1.00 Participation
    Successful completion of this continuing education activity.
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Prerequisite Required

Complete the corresponding chapters on PPN Learn before proceeding.

You will receive the required attendance code at the end of the chapters to claim your PPN Contact Hour(s) / CE Credit(s) and Certificate of Completion here.