CRG Newsletter: Summer Edition

August 2014, Volume 4 (3.1)

In This Issue
Collaborating with Schools and Families
Psychiatry and ADD/Life Coaching: A Collaborative Model of Wellness
Meet the Provider: Maggi Simpson, M.S., CCC-SLP
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Primary Care Psychiatry Foundation
  
The
Primary Care Psychiatry Foundation 
invites you to attend

Men are from Mars: Psychiatric Disorders in Males Across the Lifespan 

The conference will take place at Marian College of Osteopathy in Indianapolis, IN on Saturday, September 13, 2014 from 7:30am-2:00pm.

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CRG will be offering four Fall Groups to meet a variety of our patients' needs.

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Collaborative Partnerships: A Win-Win Approach to Wellness and Success

By David R. Parker, Ph.D.

 

 

A record-cool summer in Indiana has flown by and yellow buses have begun to transport students back to school. Where did the last few months go? August is a particularly busy time at CRG as families solidify resources to help their children succeed and adults shift from vacation mode to the busy months ahead. This issue of our newsletter focuses on collaborations. The British poet, John Donne, famously wrote, "No man is an island." A wise African proverb tells us, "It takes a village to raise a child well." Our providers and staff have always believed that partnerships can help our patients take good care of themselves. Our colleagues in public and private schools, universities and colleges, and other healthcare practices are a vital part of those collaborations. With patients' permission, these community partners provide invaluable information that helps us do our jobs better. Multiple CRG providers are often involved in the assessment, medication, therapeutic, and/or educational services we provide. Patients tell us that these partnerships are one reason they enjoy coming to CRG. Behind the scenes, CRG providers actively consult with each other to better understand and serve our patients. This allows us to bring our unique professional backgrounds and clinical perspectives to the coordinated care plan a patient receives.

 

As we publish this issue, we are also pleased to launch a new format for these newsletters. You will notice that each issue is briefer (just three articles). A given issue will roll out, however, over three successive months. We hope this new approach makes it easier for you to read without getting too bogged down with a lengthy newsletter. As always, all published CRG newsletter articles are archived on the CRG Website. Jessica Beach, our superb front office supervisor, has reorganized these by topic area to make it easier to find a given article. Feel free to forward these to friends, family, or your own community partners. And keep an eye on our website as we launch new informational videos this fall.

 

This issue begins with an article by Dr. Julie Steck, psychologist and CRG's co-founder. She writes about the many ways CRG collaborates with schools to serve students and families and to help educators address students' needs. Read Dr. Steck's description of four ways this partnership can unfold despite changing cultures and practices.

 

The next article explores how psychiatrists and ADD coaches collaborate to meet the needs of a growing number of CRG patients. ADD/life coaching is a wellness model that helps people reach their goals more effectively. Dr. Joshua Lowinsky, psychiatrist, and Dr. David Parker, ADD & Life Coach, use a Q&A format to discuss ways to identify potential clients, make appropriate referrals, and coordinate care when a person is seeing a psychiatrist and working with a coach.

 

Finally, we continue our tradition of introducing readers to new members of our team in a "Meet the Provider" interview. Maggi Simpson, speech-language therapist, joined the CRG staff in April of this year. Her extensive background and experiences allow Maggi to provide a wide range of individual and group services to children, adolescents, and families.

 

We hope you are thriving during this transition of seasons and appreciating the wisdom of using whatever resources help you do so.

 

 

 

 

 

Collaborating with Schools and Families

By Julie T. Steck, Ph.D., HSPP


 

 

CRG/Children's Resource Group has a long history of collaborating with schools and families to meet the needs of children, adolescents and young adults.  The two founding partners, Dr. Dennis Ray Kinder and Dr. Julie Steck, have their doctoral degrees in school psychology and worked in and with schools prior to working in behavioral health.  The first four clinicians added to the staff were school psychologists with advanced degrees and experience doing evaluations in public school settings.  These backgrounds gave the six clinicians a true understanding of children and adolescents as students, as well as the culture of school settings.


 

 

Click here to continue reading Collaborating with Schools and Families.

 

 

                        

Psychiatry and ADD/Life Coaching:

A Collaborative Model of Wellness

By Joshua Lowinsky, M.D., and David R. Parker, Ph.D.

 


 

 

Many adults with ADHD or related executive functioning issues use medications to treat their symptoms.  Similarly, a large percentage of these individuals experience co-existing issues with anxiety, depression, or related mood disorders at some point in their lives.  Consequently, it is common for these adults to seek assistance from a variety of professionals, including psychiatrists, therapists, and/or ADD coaches.  Effective referrals and services are enhanced when the providers coordinate care in a manner that does not violate the patient's privacy.  This article describes some "lessons being learned" from a CRG psychiatrist who diagnoses, manages medication, and offers therapy and a CRG ADD/Life coach who coaches adults with and without ADHD. 

 

We are learning more about key issues to consider as we collaborate to provide the best care possible to adults who might benefit from our respective services.  A Question/Answer format will be used to present the issues we have explored to date, from each of our perspectives.  We hope this approach provides helpful insight into our efforts to coordinate the services for the betterment of the patients/clients at CRG.


 

 

To continue reading the article by Dr. Lowinsky and Dr. Parker, click here.

 

 

 

                        

Meet the Provider:

Maggi Simpson, M.S., CCC-SLP

Interview by David R. Parker, Ph.D.

 


 

What is your role at CRG? 

I am the Speech and Language Therapist for the practice.

 

What types of services do you provide?

I provide testing and evaluation of speech and language skills, both for my clients and to support a school's team-based decision making by contributing to Independent Education Evaluations (IEE's).

I also provide comprehensive speech and language therapy services, including early intervention, parent education, home-based and clinic therapy, group therapy, and consultation for families of children and adolescents ages birth to 21.


 

 

Read more about CRG's Speech and Language Therapist, Maggi Simpson, M.S., CCC-SLP.