Oregon Health & Science 8th Annual Pediatric Mental Health Update 2025

• Target Audience: general pediatricians, family physicians
• Sample video: contact me for sample video
• Information:

Held in Lake Oswego, Oregon, this conference is designed to equip general pediatricians and family practitioners with the tools to manage complex psychiatric conditions within the constraints of a standard office visit, rather than simply waiting months for a specialist referral.

• What You Will Learn

The 2025 curriculum focuses on practical, evidence-based behavioral interventions and psychopharmacology. Key learning outcomes include:

Early Childhood Behavior: Effective counseling strategies for common behavioral concerns in toddlers and preschoolers (e.g., “From Tantrums to Takedowns”).

School Avoidance: How to differentiate between anxiety-driven school refusal and truancy, and how to partner with schools for a re-entry plan.

Boys’ Mental Health: Specific updates on addressing the unique emotional and behavioral presentation of depression and anxiety in young boys.

Complex Sleep Issues: Managing insomnia in medically complex toddlers and distinguishing behavioral insomnia from physiological sleep disorders.

Psychiatric Precision: Tailoring medication choices (SSRI vs. SNRI vs. adjunctive therapies) for depression and anxiety based on specific patient profiles.

• Event Details

Event: 8th Annual Pediatric Mental Health Update

Date: March 7, 2025 (Friday)

Location: Homebuilding Association of Greater Portland (HBA), Lake Oswego, Oregon (In-Person).

Host: OHSU School of Medicine / Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

• Who Should Attend

General Pediatricians: Who are prescribing psychotropics and need confidence in dosing and side effect management.

Family Physicians: Managing the “whole family” dynamic during a child’s mental health crisis.

Nurse Practitioners (PNP/FNP) & PAs: Who often handle the high-volume acute visits for behavioral issues.

School Nurses & Counselors: Who need to understand the medical management their students are receiving.

• Why Attend

Local Resources: It provides specific guidance on navigating the Oregon/Washington mental health system, including how to access the OPAL-K (Oregon Psychiatric Access Line for Kids) for phone consultations.

Actionable “Pearls”: Sessions like “Strategies for Functional Abdominal Pain” bridge the gap between physical symptoms (somatic complaints) and underlying anxiety, a common presentation in primary care.

• Topics

The 2025 agenda features these specific sessions:

Keynote: Fostering Trust Through Relationship-Centered Communication (Eric Crossen, MD).

Clinical Management:

Assessing and Treating Pediatric Anxiety (Kyle Johnson, MD).

Depression Management in Primary Care (Bruce Leewiwatanakul, DO).

School Refusal: Assessment and Intervention (Amanda Ball, PsyD & Sarah Senderling).

Special Populations:

Goodnight Soon?! Insomnia in a Medically Complex Toddler (Elizabeth Super, MD).

Boys’ Mental Health and Well-being (Christopher Reigeluth, PhD).