CL SIG

The Consultation-Liaison Special Interest Group (C/L SIG) held its first official meeting at the 2011 National Conference of the Society of Pediatric Psychology in San Antonio, TX following a discussion between two colleagues the year prior about a lack of available inpatient C/L resources at the time. Since then, the structure of the C/L SIG has adapted to meet the growing needs and interests of its current 300+ members. The mission is to promote discussion, education, research, and networking among pediatric psychologists who provide inpatient C/L services to pediatric patients and their families. 

The C/L SIG had a busy and productive year in 2022. Below are some recent initiatives and projects: 

• We distributed a survey to our members at the beginning of 2022 to collect both qualitative and quantitative information on how C/L psychologists have managed patients with high psychiatric acuity on medical floors and in emergency departments during the pediatric mental health crisis. Results of this survey are being presented on a poster at the 2023 SPPAC in Chicago, IL. 
• The C/L SIG board began hosting quarterly open body meetings in October 2022. The first meeting involved a discussion about the management of eating disorders on inpatient medical units. The second meeting occurred in February 2023 and was targeted at reviewing the use of standardized screening during inpatient consultations. We look forward to our next meeting in June 2023.  
• Student representatives of the C/L SIG coordinated a virtual Q&A with other graduate student members of SPP to provide information about how to navigate C/L training opportunities and mentorship.  
• We are excited to announce the Pediatric Psychology Resource Bank is now available to all active Division 54 members – no username and/or password needed! The Resource Bank can be accessed through the “Resources” tab on the Division 54 webpage and includes resources for assessment, intervention, quality improvement, training protocols, and more.  

The C/L SIG board is proud of its members’ contributions to the field, and we look forward to our continued work in the upcoming year!   

Currently, the C/L SIG has an active and engaged leadership team, including: 

• Co-chairs Monica Agoston PhD (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta) and Amanda Burnside PhD (Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago).  
• Member-at-large Lauren Wood PhD (Children’s Hospital Colorado).  
• Co-secretaries include Natacha Emerson PhD (UCLA) and Kate Koehn PhD (Children’s Minnesota) 
• Research co-chairs Emily Mudd PhD ABPP (Cleveland Clinic Children’s) and Marissa Feldman PhD (Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital).  
• Communcations chair Kyleigh Skedgell PhD (St. Louis Children’s Hospital)  
• Webmasters Bryan Carter PhD (University of Louisville School of Medicine) and Katherine Schwartzkopf PsyD (Indiana University School of Medicine) who also manage the Pediatric Psychology Resource Bank.  
• Student representatives include Courtney Giannini PhD (Boston Children’s Hospital) and Rachel Murley MS (Palo Alto University).  

If you are interested in joining the C/L SIG, please register via the pedspsych.org membership portal.  

Reference:  Millmann, M., Koehn, K., Mudd, E., Agoston, M., Wood, L., Emerson, N., Giannini, C., Skedgell, K., Burnside, A., & Feldman, M. (2023, March). Management of High Acuity Patients in Pediatric Medical Settings: The role of C/L psychologists during the growing mental health crisis. Poster presentation at the 2023 Society of Pediatric Psychology Annual Conference; Chicago, IL.