Foster Care Training

Children and youth are often difficult to diagnosis and this process becomes more complex when symptoms (i.e. depression, anxiety, and aggression) overlap in mental disorders. The quality of mental health services can be negatively impacted when there are different diagnoses given for the same client. This course provides a step by step process for using differential diagnosis with the DSM 5 to improve the diagnoses of children and youth in youth services, child welfare, and juvenile justice. Initial rule outs will be discussed in diagnosis including malingering, substance use, medical conditions, and not having a mental disorder. Decision trees will provide potential diagnoses for children and youth based on presenting symptoms including depressed mood, suicidal behavior, anxiety, delusions and hallucinations, irritable mood, aggressive behavior, and impulsivity. Differential diagnoses based on primary mental disorders seen will also be reviewed including major depressive disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD, social anxiety disorder, PTSD, and oppositional defiant disorder. Participants will discuss challenges in making an accurate diagnosis and client cases in group discussions. Participants will also practice developing a diagnosis with children and youth using the different diagnosis process. This course will also assist participants in reviewing diagnosis information in preparing for licensing examinations.

Course Objectives

1. To identify the initial steps and rule outs involved in developing differential diagnosis.
2. To use decision trees in making a differential diagnosis based on the presenting mental health symptoms with children and youth.
3. To identify differential diagnoses for frequently used and new mental disorders in the DSM 5 with children and youth.
4. To practice developing diagnoses with children and youth using the differential diagnosis process.