Page 73 - 2017-2018 Department of Psychiatry Annual Report

Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Head and Chief: Dr. Alexa Bagnell

The Division of Child and Adolescent adolescent psychiatry has been very
Psychiatry is located at the IWK successful with two more residents
Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. joining the program in July 2018, and
There are approximately 16 academic four Dalhousie psychiatry residents
child and adolescent psychiatrists with in the program for the upcoming year
a wealth of experience and expertise (two in PGY5 and two in PGY6).
in patient care, education, research The child and adolescent psychiatry
and advocacy. Our doctors work as rotations continue to be very well
part of the IWK Mental Health and regarded by trainees, and our
Addictions Program (MHAP), which residents have been very engaged
provides a full range of mental health in quality improvement initiatives and
and psychiatric treatment services the education of learners. Our faculty
for children, adolescents and their continuing education has included
families, and is the only child and our bi-annual retreats, which are now
adolescent mental health program in joined by colleagues from across
the Halifax district. Nova Scotia, and our spring Atlantic
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
It has been a productive year for child conference. In September 2018, we
and adolescent psychiatry faculty. will be the hosts for the Canadian
Clinically, there has been further work Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
in our systems of care and how care Conference in Halifax and welcome
is delivered to improve access for our colleagues from across the
children, youth and families. Utilizing country. The research productivity of
Lean health care approaches, our the division has continued to do well
Community Mental Health and with 22 journal and book publications
Addictions services have been able and 46 presentations at local, national
to dramatically increase access for and international conferences.
patients and families over the past
two years. In the past year, we have Faculty and Staff
begun Lean work in our autism After a successful search in June
services, in conjunction with our 2017 and Canada Research Chair
colleagues in pediatrics. The specific application process in March 2018, we
care clinics are building capacity are looking forward to welcoming our
in evidence-based treatments for first Tier 2 Canada Research Chair
moderate to severe mental illnesses in Developmental Psychopathology
across the IWK and the Maritime and Youth Mental Health, Dr. Sandra
Provinces through collaborations with Meier, to the IWK and Department
clinicians (e.g. family based therapy of Psychiatry faculty in summer
for anorexia, opioid withdrawal 2018. Dr. Meier is a psychologist and
management in concurrent disorders, researcher with a strong background
cognitive behavioural therapy for in genetic epidemiology, biostatistics
OCD, TransHealth, early psychosis and molecular genetics. Her research
guidelines and Circle of Security). work will focus on biological and
Provincially, there has been outreach epidemiological understanding of
and work with areas that have limited social aspects of mental health
access to child and adolescent disorders in children, youth and
psychiatry to collaborate and support families.
other regions.

In education, our subspecialty
residency program in child and

A nurse at the IWK works with an adolescent patient. Annual Report 2017 | 2018 73