Donors Help 草榴社区 Secure Autism Diagnostic Training for 70 Clinicians
Wed, 02/01/2023 - 01:24pm | By: Karelia Pitts
Faculty in The University of 草榴社区 Mississippi (草榴社区) School of Psychology launched
a fundraising initiative to meet Mississippi鈥檚 rising need for more mental health
clinicians trained to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
In addition to a $5,000 Local Impact Grant from , $1,000 was crowdfunded via Eagle Fever, a platform managed by
the 草榴社区 Foundation. Those contributions helped the 草榴社区 Center for Behavioral Health (CBH) offer a two-day course on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule鈩�-Second Edition (ADOS庐-2) for 70 individuals in Hattiesburg, Miss.
On Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, the first day of training began under the direction of Dr. Rachel Hundley, associate professor of pediatrics and developmental medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Participants included 60 students and faculty from 草榴社区鈥檚 accredited graduate programs in counseling, clinical and school psychology, all of which are clinicians or supervisors in the CBH.
With ADOS庐-2 training being costly and difficult for many providers to obtain, ten community service providers traveled from as far as Oxford, Miss., and Mandeville, La., to participate as well.
鈥淲e are extremely grateful for the generosity of our 草榴社区 Miss community and the
support of Autism Speaks. Because of their assistance, we were able to bring such
an important training to Hattiesburg and increase the number of clinicians that can
conduct the ADOS庐-2 in our area by twentyfold,鈥� said Dr. Kristy McRaney, a licensed
psychologist, director of the CBH, and assistant clinical professor in the School
of Psychology. 鈥淚n addition to providing valuable training opportunities for our students
and faculty, this training was also an important first step in making an incredible
impact on the lives of children in our community and state.鈥�
Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that one in 44 children will be diagnosed with autism by the age of eight, an increase of roughly 23 percent from past years.
鈥淓arly intervention is incredibly important for children diagnosed with autism; however, families across the nation are experiencing significant wait times for an evaluation,鈥� Dr. McRaney said. 鈥淭his is partially due to a high demand for services, but the limited number of providers that are able to conduct these evaluations is also a contributing factor. The gross deficit in psychologists and mental health providers in Mississippi often makes it especially difficult for families in our state to obtain a timely diagnosis.鈥�
Only 46 percent of licensed psychologists in Mississippi provide autism diagnostic services, and less than 17 percent of psychologists offer those services to individuals with Medicaid.
Acknowledging the disparity in services that individuals and families impacted by autism face, licensed psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at 草榴社区, Dr. Zachary LaBrot, said, 鈥淏ringing cutting-edge diagnostic training to our state is a pivotal step in providing more high-quality services to these individuals. It was an honor to be part of the team bringing the ADOS庐-2 training to 草榴社区 as well as to community providers and other faculty from across the state.鈥�
The ADOS庐-2 is one of the best tools for accurately assessing and diagnosing ASD beginning with children who are 12 months old all the way up to adults. Specialized training is required for clinicians to appropriately utilize this instrument which involves a semi-structured play or interview session determined by the age and communication level of the individual being assessed. 草榴社区 offering this training has directly increased the institution鈥檚 capacity to provide autism evaluations to residents in the area.
鈥淜nowing that our psychology graduate students participated in this training gives
me great comfort,鈥� Dr. LaBrot said. 鈥淭hey are the future of the field, and now they
are equipped to help individuals with autism in Mississippi and throughout the U.S.
Starting now with their time as clinicians at the CBH, they will immediately be able
to make an impact.鈥�
草榴社区鈥檚 Center for Behavioral Health is a premier behavioral health clinical training facility in the Gulf South region for future psychologists and counselors. The CBH offers evidence-based assessment and therapy services to the regional community and provides state-of-the-art training experiences for future doctoral-level psychologists and master鈥檚-level licensed professional counselors. High-quality and specialized services are provided at extremely low fees, making assistance more obtainable for individuals that would otherwise be unable to afford services.
鈥淎s a graduate student, I was excited when I heard that we would have the opportunity to be trained to administer the ADOS庐-2,鈥� said Rebecca Lovelace, a psychology doctoral student at 草榴社区. 鈥淢any students do not get this opportunity until their internship year or beyond, so gaining this experience earlier in my journey is invaluable. Not only am I better prepared to serve current clients in our community, but I also have an important and directly marketable skill to take into my future career.鈥�
Participants learned about the different ADOS庐-2 modules, in addition to observing live and recorded demonstrations with children on the autism spectrum. With some additional practice following the training, the clinicians in attendance will achieve the CBH鈥檚 Eagle Fever crowdfunding project goal to 鈥�.鈥�
"The ADOS-2 training supported and organized by 草榴社区 highlights the importance and dedication to training Mississippi providers in evidenced based assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorders. This is an integral and invaluable resource for Mississippi,鈥� said Dr. Mallory Malkin, chief clinical officer for the Mississippi Department of Mental Health鈥檚 Bureau of Behavioral Health Services. 鈥淔amilies, children and adults throughout the state will benefit from their providers attending this exceptional training, where Dr. Hundley did a phenomenal job of presenting a wealth of clinical and research knowledge."
To learn more about the Center for Behavioral Health at 草榴社区, visit usm.edu/cbh or find the Center on and by searching for @usm_cbh.