BHIPP Bulletin

Volume 10, Issue 10

April 2025

This month's BHIPP Bulletin is a contribution from Lily Stavisky, BA, BHIPP Outreach & Training Coordinator.

National Child Abuse Prevention Month was established to raise awareness about and prevent child maltreatment by supporting and strengthening child and family well-being. In honor of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, BHIPP has gathered information and resources relevant to supporting youth who have experienced child maltreatment. It is estimated that 7 out of every 1,000 children in the United States experience child maltreatment (i.e., neglect; physical, emotional and sexual abuse) (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau, 2025). Child maltreatment often results in short- and long-term physical and mental health consequences including injuries, mental health disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder), developmental deficits, cognitive and academic deficits, and substance use and abuse (Sibylle et al., 2022; Strathearn et al., 2020). In light of these consequences, efforts to prevent child maltreatment and promote early identification and intervention are critical. Pediatric primary care providers can support the patients they serve by:

• Using a trauma-informed care approach with all patients and families to create an environment that prioritizes safety, respect, and empowerment 
• Universally monitoring patients' relational health as a part of annual visits or physical examinations to assess risk and protective factors of child maltreatment
• Providing psychoeducation to increase knowledge about healthy child development and positive parenting practices
• Fostering child and parent resilience in order to prevent maltreatment and mitigate its short-and long-term health effects
• Assisting patients and families who have experienced maltreatment in locating specialized support or resources for their symptoms

Resources and Handouts:

1. The Pediatrician's Role in Preventing Child Maltreatment: Clinical Report

2. Child Abuse and Neglect Policies, Initiatives, and Resources for Pediatric Primary Care Providers

3. Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Child Abuse and Neglect

4. Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect

5. Additional Resources on Child Abuse and Neglect

6. Trauma-Informed Care in Pediatric Primary Care

As always, if you have questions about the behavioral health needs of your patients, we encourage you to call the BHIPP consultation line at 

855-MD-BHIPP (632-4477), open 9am-5pm Monday-Friday, for resource/referral networking or consultation support.

We will keep you informed about all our services and training events through our website (www.mdbhipp.org) and monthly e-newsletters. Additionally, BHIPP is on LinkedIn and Facebook. We invite you to follow us there to stay up-to-date on upcoming training events, pediatric mental health research, and resources for providers, families and children.

BHIPP Announcements

Providers on Maryland's Eastern Shore:

Join us for an in-person CME/CEU training event!

BHIPP is pleased to partner with the Maryland Academy of Physician Assistants to offer an in-person, free CME/CEU training event for primary care, emergency medicine, urgent care, and mental health providers and care teams working with children and families on Maryland's Eastern Shore. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided, as well as opportunities for providers to meet and network. Join us on May 3rd from 8:30am-2:00pm!

Register for the next BHIPP Webinar!

Register for the next BHIPP Webinar on May 7th at 12:00pm! BHIPP Webinars are a series of interactive, web-based learning sessions that are a virtual space for pediatric primary care, emergency medicine, and behavioral health providers to connect, learn and share about strategies, practices and resources to promote mental health and resilience among children and families as well as providers. Free CME and CEU credit is available for participation.

Join the BHIPP ECHO Beyond the Basics Series!

Register for the BHIPP ECHO Beyond the Basics series! The next session will be held on May 8th from 12:00-1:00pm. Join our multidisciplinary team of child behavioral health experts on the second Thursday of every month between October 2024 and May 2025 for virtual case-based learning and didactic presentations. This series is great for providers who have already participated in BHIPP ECHO, or who feel like they are experienced in treating behavioral health in their practice and are looking to explore advanced topics. Free CME and CEU credit is available for participation.

Register for the last BHIPP ECHO Core Foundations session!

Register for the BHIPP ECHO Core Foundations series! The next session will be held on May 22nd from 12:00-1:00pm. Join our multidisciplinary team of child behavioral health experts every month between October 2024 and May 2025 for virtual case-based learning and didactic presentations. This series is great for providers who want to improve their knowledge of child mental health and develop foundational skills. Free CME and CEU credit is available for participation.

Sign up for an upcoming BHIPP Webinar!

Register for the next BHIPP Webinar on May 28th at 12:00pm! BHIPP Webinars are a series of interactive, web-based learning sessions that are a virtual space for pediatric primary care, emergency medicine, and behavioral health providers to connect, learn and share about strategies, practices and resources to promote mental health and resilience among children and families as well as providers. Free CME and CEU credit is available for participation.

Complete this survey on Tourette Syndrome to receive a

$50 e-gift card!

The Tourette Syndrome Center of Excellence at Johns Hopkins Medicine and Kennedy Krieger Institute in collaboration with Maryland Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care (BHIPP) is conducting a brief survey to better understand pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) knowledge about Tourette Syndrome and related tic disorders (collectively TS) and to identify current practices of PCPs when encountering children and adolescents with TS. We will use this information to inform development of clinical tools to assist PCPs when encountering youth with TS in their everyday practice. PCPs will receive a $50 e-gift card upon completion of this 20-minute survey.