The program was first piloted in April 2022 and will be officially rolled out in fall 2022 with a curricula of two programs.
In December 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General said more than one in three students are now experiencing mental health challenges after the COVID-19 pandemic, citing a youth mental health crisis in the country. issued a recommendation for In response to this growth, faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are implementing new simulation-based learning experiences.
Fellows of the Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology and students of the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Social Work will undergo simulated child and adolescent mental health training in the emergency room.
“Through simulation, social work graduate students and child and adolescent psychiatric fellows gain hands-on experience in providing acute mental health care to child and adolescent patients,” the program. “Trainees demonstrate interprofessional communication and learn to determine appropriate care in emergency situations.”
During the simulation, Falola and Laurel Hitchcock, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Social Work, provided mentorship, directed the reporting process, and reviewed the trainees’ learning goals and feedback on the interprofessional collaborative patient care experience.
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The simulation was first piloted in April 2022 in collaboration with the UAB Center for Interprofessional Education and Simulation. After a successful pilot and positive feedback from trainees, the simulation will resume in his Fall 2022 and will be part of the curriculum for both programs.
“The knowledge, skills, and perspectives learned from this experience enhance the collaborative teamwork among professionals commonly encountered in the emergency room, ultimately leading to higher quality patient care and satisfaction,” says Falola. said.
