Like the polio vaccine, Rotary members have an essential role in overcoming delays in the local community to overcome the fact that, “New interventions ‘languish’ for 15–20 years before they are incorporated into usual medical care” (Boren and Balas 1999).
For behavioral health challenges, it turns out that the mother is part of the solution! If a youth screens positive for mild or moderate symptoms of anxiety, depression and ADHD, the doctor can now prescribe the relevant Guided Self-Management Toolkits for Families (GSM) to the child or teen and parent. Waitlists to begin treatment by a child psychiatrist are ended by empowering a parent with the knowledge of how to effectively partner with the primary care doctor to immediately begin a child's treatment.
The toolkits are parent and patient education materials to help the youth develop coping skills and knowledge at home. In turn, the parent confirms compliance and progress so everyone is 'on the same page', from doctor, patient, and parent to optionally include psychologist / therapist, school nurse, and school counselor.
The toolkits, developed by Boston Children's Hospital, are bundled with the latest training and supports for the pediatric primary care provider - physician, physician assistant, and nurse. Details are in the toolkit called A Lever. Anyone in the community, including Rotary members, can introduce the GSM to the Chief Medical officer or pediatric primary care provider to end waitlists for treatment.