APA Committee on Children Youth and Families (CYF): Integrated pediatric health care a priority for CYF

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CYF describes their initiatives, including a priority on integrated pediatric health care.

 

By W. Douglas Tynan, PhD

 

APA’s Committee on Children Youth and Families (CYF) is made up of six members of APA selected from all of the APA divisions that have interests in children to assist in guiding APA policy on matters related to children and adolescents. The committee not only introduces issues for APA as an organization to review but also reviews all policies proposed by APA for their potential impact on children and adolescents. For 2013 and 2014, the committee chose to focus on systems that serve children, with emphasis on the health care system.

 

The CYF Newsletter has had significant influence on policies endorsed and promoted by APA. An issue on integrated care in primary care pediatric sites, featuring articles from Div. 54 members and fellows was published in fall 2013.

 

In spring 2014, Carmen Valdez edited an important new contribution in the CYF Newsletter on maternal depression, also focused on primary care and other settings.

 

Current President of APA, Nadine Kaslow, has made psychology’s role in the patient centered medical home a central feature of her presidential year, and the 2015 president, Barry Anton, will be focusing on International Approaches to Integrated Care. In addition, work is underway to coordinate with the American Academy of Pediatrics on other initiatives on integrated care.

 

As of July 1, Doug Tynan has joined at APA as the director of integrated care and associate director of the Center for Psychology and Health and has left the Committee on Children Youth and Families. CYF continues to focus on systems that serve children and the coordination of education, social service and health care systems. For further information about CYF and its activities, please refer to the CYF website or contact Amani Chatman at APA.