Highlight: Rehab Medicine SIG

The Rehab Medicine Special Interest Group held their first official meeting in November 2017. The mission of the SIG is to promote advancement of the pediatric rehabilitation field through education, practice, collaboration, mentorship, and research. The goals of our SIG include:

• Education: Collect, develop, and disseminate knowledge through resources, tools, and presentations.
• Practice: Assemble, develop, and distribute assessment and treatment resources to professionals.
• Collaboration: Promote research, clinical, and professional collaborations
• Mentorship: Provide training, consultation, and mentorship to students, trainees, and professionals.
• Research: Contribute to current research, promote and highlight publications, and foster research collaborations.

 

The Rehab Medicine SIG Leadership Committees have laid a strong foundation recently.  Some of our recent projects have included:

1. Development of a national training program directory and provider directory.
   • Do you have a rehab psychology training program? Input your information here: Rehabilitation Medicine Training Programs
   • Are you a rehab psychology provider? Input your information here: Rehabilitation Medicine Psychology Directory
2. Rehabilitation Medicine Webinar Series including:
   • “Rehabilitation Psychology: What We Do and Our Role Within Pediatric Psychology” by Merideth Wirstiuk, Kara Monnin, Valerie Paasch & Jeannette Iskander. A link to the presentation is available here.
   • “Disorders of Consciousness” by Megan Kramer, Alison Colbert, Chrissie Koterba, and was moderated by Kara Monnin. A recording of the webinar is available here.
3. A series of Rehabilitation Medicine flash talks during our annual SIG meetings. Recent presentations include:
   • “Trauma & Suicidality in the Rehabilitation Setting” by Kara Monnin
   • “Psychological Support for AFM” by Margaret Tunney
   • “Intervention & Resources in a Multidisciplinary Brain Injury Clinic” by Ann Lantagne
   • “Intervention and Resources for Neuromuscular Conditions” by Areti Vassilopoulos
   • “Concussion 101 & Return to Learn” by Kelly McNally
   • “Overview of an outpatient CBT approach for persisting post-concussion symptoms” by Ann Lantagne
   • “Multidisciplinary clinic & short-term intervention for pediatric concussion” by Lindsay Cirincione
4. The Student Representative Committee reinstated annual newsletters, highlighting presentations at SPPAC, notable resources, and the role of rehab psychology in the interdisciplinary team.
5. Poster awards were presented during our annual SIG meetings.
   • The 2023 poster award was presented to Jamie Patronick for the poster titled “Geographic Predictors of Recurrent Traumatic Brain Injury Risk and Relationships with Post-Injury Quality of Life.”
   • The 2024 Poster Award was presented to Adrien Winning for the poster titled “The Parenting Experiences and Unmet Needs of Families with a Young Child with Spina Bifida.” An honorable mention was also presented to Taylor Dattilo for the poster “The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Social Support and Posttraumatic Stress Among Parents of Children Admitted for Rehabilitation.”

Currently, the Rehab Medicine SIG has an active and engaged leadership team, including:

Co-Chairs:

• Margaret Tunney (Kennedy Krieger Institute / Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)
• Ann Lantagne (Children's Hospital Colorado / University of Colorado School of Medicine)

Membership Committee:

• Chair: Becca Wallace (Children's Hospital New Orleans)
• Co-Chair: Valerie Paasch (Kennedy Krieger Institute / Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

Clinical Committee:

• Chair: Jeannette Iskander (Akron Children's Hospital / NEOMED University)
• Co-Chair: Areti Vassilopoulos (Yale Child Study Center / Yale School of Medicine)

Education Committee:

• Co-Chair: Kara Monnin (Nationwide Children’s Hospital / Ohio State University)
• Co-Chair: Merideth Wirstiuk (Kennedy Krieger Institute / Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

Student Representative Committee:

• Chair: Samantha Scott (University of Denver / Intern at Children’s Hospital of Colorado)
• Co-Chair: Olivia Clark (Loyola University Chicago / Intern at Nationwide Children’s Hospital)

 

If you are interested in joining the Rehab Medicine SIG, please register via the pedspsych.org membership portal.