Search

Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate feasibility and utility of an electronic health record (EHR) activity to assess transitional readiness, deliver services to meet individual needs, and to track patient progress. Methods We developed a Transition EHR activity (TEA) to track patients through a standardized process where transition readiness is annually assessed and services distributed based on need. The process assesses transition skills starting at age 12 years and sets goals through shared decision-making, delivers resources according to need, reviews patients' personal medical histories, and documents healthcare transfer to adult gastroenterology. We piloted TEA among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) ages ≥12 years. Distribution to patients was measured and tolerability assessed via patient self-report evaluations. Results Since launch, TEA has been distributed to all eligible patients (N = 53) with a median age of 16 (14,18) years (median [IQR]), 62% male, 58% white, 26% Hispanic at our weekly dedicated IBD clinic. All have performed the transition skills' self-assessment and practicum, and set transition goals with their healthcare provider. Of these individuals, 41 (77%) participated in survey feedback. On a utility rating scale of 0 (not helpful at all) to 10 (very helpful), patients reported median (IQR) utility scores of 8 (7,10) for the transition readiness assessment, 9 (7,10) for transition resources provided, and 9 (7,10) for the medical history summary. Most (91%) would recommend TEA to other patients. Conclusions TEA standardized delivery of resources among pediatric IBD patients and was well received and friendly to clinical workflow.

The purpose of this article is to honor the legacy of Dr. Joseph White, one of the founding fathers of Black psychology. Three areas of his legacy are highlighted: his style of mentoring, the impact of his scholarship on the field of Black psychology, and its impact on the professional development and scholarship of this author. The intent is to inspire new generations of Black mentors and scholars to continue the legacy of Dr. Joseph White, grounded in Black psychology, community, African American values, and the professional extended family.

The ability to respond to public health emergencies involving infectious diseases as well as our ability to adequately prepare for as yet unknown or unrecognized emerging infectious diseases requires suitable facilities within which scientific investigations can take place. To ensure the safe conduct of such investigations so that laboratory workers and the general public are protected from potential consequences of accidental or intentional release of high consequence pathogens, special containment facilities have been designed and constructed. Evaluation of the adequacy of containment for these types of investigations requires a risk assessment (RA) as part of the overall construction project for these types of laboratories. A discussion of the RA process along with considerations that impact the design of such studies and the overall results is presented.

The clinical and validation studies published in this issue are very timely, as they continue to refine theoretical models and evidence-based family assessment measures for vulnerable pediatric chronic populations. The studies in this issue individually and collectively advance our understanding of what predicts and informs parental and family outcomes across a number of pediatric chronic illness groups. These findings will also be critical to advancing family-based clinical practice and treatments for children with chronic illnesses (Alderfer et al., 2008; Kazak et al., 2007). In total, the articles increase the potential to include nontraditional families, use multi-method and validated assessment tools, and to integrate family measures with other assessment tools so that we can take a comprehensive approach to assessment in our work as pediatric psychologists. While this special issue of JPP advances our understanding of family assessment and processes related to pediatric conditions, it also reveals the continued need to improve cultural sensitivity in pediatric and family assessment (Alderfer et al., 2008; Shudy et al., 2006). This editorial will discuss the challenges and opportunities for enhancing diversity in pediatric psychology family assessment research, as well as the implications for how culturally sensitive family assessment informs clinical practice and research for culturally diverse populations (Clay, Mordhorst, & Lehn, 2002; Ochieng, 2003; Wood, 2005). Trends in publications confirm that the general pediatric family psychology and family assessment literature has increased over the past 25 years, most notably in the past 10 years when publication rates have more than doubled. Using JPP as the example to illustrate growth in trends over time, there will be more articles published on the topic of ‘‘family’’ in this issue than there were published on the topic of ‘‘family’’ in the year 1980 when there were total eight articles (and these numbers remained below 30 in most of the years in the 1980s). Much of the journal’s space focused nearly exclusively on childfocused articles with a behaviorally focused assessment and/or intervention. In contrast, when using ‘‘family’’ as a keyword in 2009, 118 articles were published in the journal, and in 2010, 77 such articles were published through the third quarter. When the key words were narrowed to ‘‘family assessment,’’ the number of published articles was 105 since 1980 and half of these 52 (50%) were published since 2003, highlighting the emerging trend to better integrate family assessment tools in pediatric research. Finally, when examining the number of articles with a ‘‘family assessment’’ and a ‘‘cultural’’ or ‘‘diversity’’ focus, the number of articles was fewer than five. This rate held true even when looking for articles written on specific racial or ethnic subgroups (e.g., using ‘‘family assessment’’ as a search term with ‘‘African American’’ or ‘‘Hispanic/Latino’’). While JPP offers a great context for making the case for why attention should now be given to diversity issues in the field, trends are likely to be similar in other journals and in the broader literature. With the publication of this issue, it is fitting to celebrate the evolution and progress of family assessment research in the field of pediatric psychology, while also acknowledging the gap that still remains in the family assessment literature with respect to cultural diversity. We have to find sensitive and valid methods and models for applying and translating family assessment concepts and

This article discusses the process of incorporating spirituality and religion into the treatment of African American clients. It addresses religious diversity within the African American community. The roles of spirituality and religion as survival and coping mechanisms for overcoming racism, adversity, and loss are emphasized. The cases presented in this article discuss religious and spiritual issues of African American clients at different life cycle stages and are illustrative of the presenting problems encountered by counseling psychologists in a variety of mental health settings including counseling centers, clinics, hospitals, community agencies, and private practices. Although extensive research on the role of religion and spirituality in the lives of African Americans is now available, this article makes an important contribution to the literature and to practicing counseling psychologists by providing detailed case examples, particularly those that illustrate the application of these issues in cross-cultural treatment.

James R. Dumpson (1909–2012) was the first African American dean of a non-black school of social work following a career in public service in New York where he worked tirelessly to promote social change and implement social justice.

SUMMARY This article presents an overview of the complex experiences of racism and the invisibility syndrome as they relate to issues of race-related stress, emotional abuse, and psychological trauma for people of color. Racism, through domination, power, and White privilege, is manifested in its individual, institutional, and cultural forms. Race-related stress is discussed as an outcome of perceived racism creating emotional abuse and psychological trauma. Consequences of racism are considered for family and couple relationships. A case example is presented illustrating the issues of racism in the professional and personal development of a staff member in a mental health agency. Examples of interventions to combat racism are given, such as identifying resilience and strengths of people of color, and the role of the antiracist movement.

Adaptive behavior and psychological well-being of African Americans can be affected by prejudice and discrimination. Encountering repeated racial slights can create "psychological invisibility." The invisibility syndrome is presented as a conceptual model for understanding the inner evaluative processes and adaptive behavior of African Americans in managing experiences of racism.