The REACH Institute awards 50 cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) scholarships to primary care clinicians nationwide to bridge critical gaps in pediatric mental health care

NEW YORK (Sept. 5, 2024) – According to the CDC, nearly one in five children in the United States has a diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder, yet only 20% receive the treatment they need. This gap in care is largely due to a lack of mental health training among clinicians, including primary care providers (nurse practitioners, family physicians, physician assistants, and pediatricians). To address this critical shortfall, The REACH Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to effective, evidence-based mental health care for children and families, has awarded 50 REACH Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) Scholarships to primary care clinicians nationwide. Recipients will use the scholarships to attend REACH’s CBT for Anxiety in Pediatric Primary Care program, which begins today.

Funding for these CBT Scholarships was made possible by a grant from the Airbnb Community Fund that supports organizations working to strengthen communities Airbnb hosts call home. REACH CBT Scholarships are awarded to primary care providers working in underserved communities throughout the United States.The 50 clinicians receiving this round of CBT Scholarships represent medical doctors, doctors of osteopathic medicine, nurse practitioners, and certified physician assistants, from 19 states. Several recipients work in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), which provide healthcare services to patients regardless of their ability to pay.

A doctor in California said the CBT Scholarship will “significantly impact my professional development as an African American pediatrician,” and continued, “integrating cognitive behavioral techniques into my practice will help bridge the gap in mental health services and reduce the stigma associated with seeking therapy in minority communities.”

REACH provides gold standard training developed with renowned experts in the field of youth mental health, grounded in the science of behavior change, and supported by rigorous program evaluation. Participants consistently score REACH training programs in the top 10% of continuing education courses, citing presentation quality, content, and relevance to their practice.

Another CBT Scholarship recipient, a nurse practitioner in Georgia, shared, “I work in a rural community, and the patients we serve have very limited resources. Our pediatric psychiatry population is multiplying greatly, and even those with resources cannot receive quality care in a timely fashion. Even those with resources have difficulty finding CBT. My goal is to learn ways to ‘mind the gap’ while waiting for therapy and equipping families who are struggling.”

CBT for Anxiety in Pediatric Primary Care program includes a full-day training session followed by four group learning and mentoring sessions, during which participants learn to effectively use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques to support children and teens with anxiety. The course aims to help primary care clinicians identify and understand the core components of youth anxiety, screen and assess for anxiety in the primary care setting, and use evidence-based CBT techniques to support anxious children.

A nurse practitioner and CBT Scholarship recipient in Texas said, “Since noticing the significant increase in anxiety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic and completing my DNP project on anxiety screening, I have gained an appreciation for the mental health crisis and the need to promptly treat children and adolescents experiencing anxiety and other mental health concerns to decrease their long-term risks and increase their quality of life.”

Registration is now open for the next CBT for Anxiety in Pediatric Primary Care program.

***

About The REACH Institute

The REACH Institute is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that the most effective, scientifically proven mental health care reaches all children and families. Since 2006, REACH has trained more than 8,000 primary care providers in evidence-based mental health care. The organization addresses the critical shortage of pediatric mental health services, especially in underserved areas, by providing intensive training programs for healthcare professionals to better diagnose, treat, and manage mental health issues in children and adults. For more information, visit https://thereachinstitute.org.

Media Contacts

Laura Wessells and Martha Holler

ShinePR for The REACH Institute

TheREACHinstitute@shinepr.com