The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston

Clinical Programs

Inpatient

A rotation at Devereux Texas Treatment Network provides opportunities for residents in a full continuum of care, including acute inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, outpatient, and intensive outpatient substance abuse programs. Children and adolescents seen here have a wide range of diagnoses and residents have the opportunity to provide medical management, group therapy, and individual and family psychotherapy with these patients. They participate in leadership of multidisciplinary teams.

The Harris County Psychiatric Center (HCPC) also provides inpatient experience. There is one child and adolescent unit with 20 beds, and a 16 bed subacute forensic unit on contract with the Juvenile Probation Department. This public psychiatric hospital provides short-term treatment to more than 4,000 people annually, with over 500 admissions annually to the Child and Adolescent Service.

Outpatient

The University of Texas Department of Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic, located in the brand new Behavioral and Biomedical Sciences Building (BBSB) provides the core outpatient experience. Child and adolescent psychiatry residents will participate in comprehensive evaluations and ongoing treatment for a variety of outpatients, using multiple therapeutic modalities under supervision. They will participate in a continuity of care clinic one afternoon per week throughout their residency, where they have the opportunity to follow some patients for up to two years. Extensive use of live video monitoring provides an excellent opportunity for direct observation and feedback from the faculty.

Child psychiatry residents will also gain experience in working in a community outpatient setting at the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority (MHMRA) during the second year. At MHMRA, residents will rotate through outpatient and school-based clinics, and the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) program for children in crisis. A rotation at the Children's Assessment Center for children who have experienced sexual abuse provides an opportunity to work in a community, multi-system (i.e. CPS, attorneys, forensic psychologists, therapists, etc.) agency.

Developmental Disabilities

Residents spend two mornings per week during part of the second year rotating in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Division of the community Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority. They will have the opportunity to participate in the care of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are in intensive day treatment programs. Residents will learn about evaluation, pharmacologic, group and behavioral treatment of these patients. There are also field trips to a number of facilities in the community designed to provide additional support for individuals with developmental disabilities. Additional experience in developmental disabilities occurs in the UT Continuity Clinic and the inpatient services at Devereux and HCPC.

Pediatric Neurology

Residents will rotate through the UT Pediatric Neurology Clinic one afternoon per week for three months. On-site supervision is provided by one of four outstanding pediatric neurologists.

Consultation/Liaison

Given the increasing importance of consultation/liaison work in child psychiatry, there are experiences in inpatient, outpatient, community, school and forensic consultation. Inpatient consultation/liaison is provided at two sites. First year residents rotate through the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, providing both inpatient and outpatient consultation to pediatric cancer patients. During the second year, residents rotate through Memorial Hermann Hospital, a private hospital with a Level I trauma center where residents consult with various general pediatric and specialty services, including the emergency room.

Second year residents gain experience in observation and evaluation of normal children, as well as working with the schools and teachers to provide education about normal child development and consultation for those children experiencing problems. These experiences occur in Head Start and elementary school settings, providing a nice opportunity to work with younger children, including those of preschool age. Forensic consultation experience occurs at the HCPC Juvenile (Forensic) Unit, where residents routinely interact with the Juvenile Probation Department.

Academic Activities

Formal didactics complement clinical experiences in both years. These include seminar series, case conferences, Grand Rounds, and supervision. Problem-Based Learning serves as the educational format in a substantial portion of the curriculum. This is an exciting teaching method that encourages the integration of basic and clinical sciences, including basic neuroscience, psychodynamics, learning theory, cultural and ethical issues, among others. PBL encourages the development of problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as well as the importance of being a self-directed, life-long learner. Research experience is available, and there are many faculty members in the Child Division with expertise in research design and methods. Most faculty members participate in some research. Specific research expertise of our faculty members includes developmental psychopathology, disruptive behavior disorders, mood disorders, and substance abuse.

Electives

Although electives are not formally built into the program, those residents who want to do electives can work with the program director to design an elective and appoint the appropriate supervisor.