FIU unveils free web-based course on mental health medication of children


In response to public concerns about the increased use of psychiatric medications in children, Florida International University will unveil CriticalThinkRx, a free web-based course to educate mental health professionals and child welfare workers about medication decisions.

CriticalThinkRx will be introduced to community practitioners, advocates and leaders in child welfare, mental health and juvenile justice on Wednesday, June 11 at 9:30 a.m. at FIU’s University Park, 11200 SW 8th St., Miami. The event will take place at the FIU College of Business Complex, Special Events Center (Rooms 232-235). The featured keynote speaker is David Lawrence, former publisher of The Miami Herald and president of the Early Childhood Initiative Foundation.

CriticalThinkRx, a research-based, publicly funded project, grew out of public concerns about the increased rate of prescription of psychiatric medications to children, the escalating costs to taxpayers to pay for these prescriptions, and the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on information about medications.

“Doctors write prescriptions, but counselors, psychologists, social workers – and sometimes judges – often influence who gets prescribed, why and for how long,” said David Cohen, professor of Social Work at FIU’s Robert Stempel School of Public Health, and principal investigator of Critical ThinkRx. “These practitioners try to make decisions in the interests of children and this course will put many of them on the road to increased knowledge.”

The free web-based format of the independent, evidence-based course encourages practitioners and agencies, even those with limited training resources, to take full advantage of the material offered, Cohen said.

CriticalThinkRx was the only project funded by the State Attorneys General Consumer and Prescriber Grant Program (CPGP) to target non-medically trained professionals. In 2007, FIU received a two-year, $372,000 grant to develop, disseminate and evaluate a critical curriculum on psychotropic medications.

Space at the event is limited. If you wish to attend, please RSVP by June 6 to rsvp@criticalthinkrx.org.

For more information, contact David Cohen at 305-348-4599 or david.cohen@fiu.edu or Inge Sengelmann at 305-348-5893 or inge.sengelmann@fiu.edu.

For more information and to take the CriticalThinkRx course, visit www.CriticalThinkRx.org

-FIU-

Media Contact
Yusila Ramirez, 305.348.2716, or yramirez@fiu.edu

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