Breaking Down Mental Health

Breaking Down Mental Health is a podcast for health care providers that bridges the gap between medicine and psychiatry. It focuses on equipping medical professionals with clinical guidance about various mental health topics from the very basic to the more complex, to better prepare all providers to answer the call to action during this mental health crisis within our pediatric population.  

Breaking Down Mental Health on blue background and text inside a yellow head graphic

This podcast is hosted by a dynamic triad representing three groups of providers that support mental health consultations at University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor Michigan. 

Join us as we break down different aspects of mental health into manageable pieces and work to eliminate stigma. 

Michigan Medicine is the academic medical center for the University of Michigan. Breaking Down Mental Health is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network.

Season 3

Breaking Down Mental Health (Season 3) - Podcast Series

Hosted by: University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and the Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry

Target audience: Physicians, PAs, NPs, nurses, social workers, other healthcare professionals, house officers, and medical students.

Objectives:

  • Understand the diagnosis of anxiety in pediatric patients.
  • Apply principles of psychopharmacology in regards to management of anxiety disorders in pediatric patients.
  • Apply therapeutic interventions for pediatric anxiety disorders.
  • Explore the effects of anxiety on suicidality.

Expected results:

  • After completing this activity participants will be able to assess for anxiety, manage anxiety with pharm and non-pharm interventions, and determine the affects of anxiety on suicidality.
  • After completing this activity participants will be able to routinely utilize the appropriate screening tools for anxiety in children and adolescents.

To enroll for CME credit, visit our episode activity website. Visit our CME course overview page for details on CME credit, or complete this survey for social work CEUs.

Educational Planner: Christina Cwynar, DNP, CPNP-PC, Heidi Burns, MD, and Syma Khan, MSW

Disclosures: None of the planning team or speakers for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

Release Date: April 1, 2025 / Termination Date: March 31, 2028

ACCME Statement

The University of Michigan Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Michigan Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

After listening to an episode, use the link provided with the episode to claim the credit associated with each session.

Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative

Michigan Medicine is an approved provider with the Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative to sponsor continuing education for social workers for 1.0 Clock Hours per episode. Approved Provider Number for social work: MICEC 0056

Season 3 Podcasts Breaking Down Mental Health
Breaking Down Mental Health
Diagnosis of Anxiety in Pediatric Patients
Learn how to apply the diagnostic criteria of major anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, specific phobias, PTSD, and unspecified anxiety. Determine age-appropriate screening tools for anxiety disorders.
Breaking Down Mental Health
Breaking Down Mental Health
Psychotropic Management of Pediatric Anxiety
Review SSRIs and SNRIs for pediatric anxiety, benzodiazepines for acute relief, and non-benzo options like hydroxyzine for as-needed anxiety management.
Breaking Down Mental Health
Breaking Down Mental Health
Therapeutic Interventions for Pediatric Anxiety
Review the application of cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety; integrate the use of exposure response prevention therapy into OCD treatment.
Breaking Down Mental Health
Breaking Down Mental Health
Suicide and Anxiety
Understand the relationship between anxiety and suicidality.
Season 2

Breaking Down Mental Health (Season 2) - Podcast Series

Hosted by: University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and the Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry 

Target audience: Physicians, PAs, NPs, nurses, social workers, other healthcare professionals, house officers, and medical students.

Objectives:

  • Utilize the appropriate screening tools for depression for the screening of children and adolescents.
  • Understand the difference in presentation of depression between children and adult.
  • Understand standard medications (SSRIs and SNRIs) for the management of depression in children/adolescents.
  • Guide patients to appropriate psychotherapeutic interventions (CBT vs DBT).
  • Increase knowledge about the management of treatment resistant depression and potential treatment options.
  • Recognize the disparities within diagnosis, management, and treatment of individuals with various mental health diseases particularly as it is related to depression in youth.

Expected results:

  • After completing this activity participants will be able to assess depression within children and adolescents, manage depression with pharm and non-pharm interventions, and implement brief interventions.
  • After completing this activity participants will routinely utilize the appropriate screening tools for depression for the screening of children and adolescents.

Visit our CME course overview page for CME credit.

Educational Planner: Christina Cwynar, DNP, CPNP-PC, Heidi Burns, MD, and Syma Khan, MSW

Disclosures: The educational planner and presenter(s) have no financial relationships with companies whose products are addressed in this activity unless otherwise noted for specific episodes.

Release Date: Released February 20, 2024 / Termination Date: February 19, 2027

ACCME Statement

The University of Michigan Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Michigan Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 3.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

After listening to an episode, use the link provided with the episode to claim the credit associated with each session.

Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative

Michigan Medicine is an approved provider with the Michigan Social Work Continuing Education Collaborative to sponsor continuing education for social workers for 1.0 Clock Hours per episode. Approved Provider Number for social work: MICEC 0056

Season 2 Podcasts
Breaking Down Mental Health on blue background and text inside a yellow head graphic
Breaking Down Mental Health
Depression and Sleep
In this episode, learn to understand the interplay between depression and how cognitive behavioral therapy can improve sleep.
Breaking Down Mental Health on blue background and text inside a yellow head graphic
Breaking Down Mental Health
Pediatric Depression
In this episode, learn to differentiate between depression presentation in children versus adults and determine appropriate screening tools for depression for the screening of children and adolescents.
Breaking Down Mental Health on blue background and text inside a yellow head graphic
Breaking Down Mental Health
Psychotherapy for Depression
In this episode, learn to define Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).
Breaking Down Mental Health on blue background and text inside a yellow head graphic
Breaking Down Mental Health
Suicide Within Depression
In this episode, learn to understand misconceptions about depression and suicide and differentiate the importance of assessing for suicidality and depression separately.
Breaking Down Mental Health on blue background and text inside a yellow head graphic
Breaking Down Mental Health
Treatment Resistant Depression
In this episode, learn to define electroconvulsive therapy, and its risks, benefits, and rationale for treatment modality and transcranial magnetic stimulation, and its risks, benefits, and rationale for treatment modality.
Breaking Down Mental Health on blue background and text inside a yellow head graphic
Breaking Down Mental Health
Psychotropic Medications for Depression
In this episode, learn to identify appropriate selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for the management of depression in pediatric patients and how they work and identify appropriate serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors for the management of depression in pediatric patients and how they work.
Season 1

Breaking Down Mental Health (Season 1) - Podcast Series

Hosted by: University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and the Michigan Medicine Department of Psychiatry

Target audience: Physicians, PAs, NPs, nurses, social workers, other healthcare professionals, house officers, and medical students.

Expected results: After completing this activity participants will be able to apply the basic concepts of psychiatric care within the pediatric population no matter their current practice setting. 

Visit our CME course overview page for CME credit.

Educational Planner: Christina Cwynar and Syma Khan, MSW

Disclosures: The educational planner and presenter(s) have no financial relationships with companies whose products are addressed in this activity unless otherwise noted for specific episodes.

Release Date: January 2023 / Termination Date: December 2025

ACCME Statement

The University of Michigan Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The University of Michigan Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 10.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

After listening to an episode, use the link provided with the episode to claim the credit associated with each session.

Season 1 Podcasts
Breaking Down Mental Health
Breaking Down Mental Health
Child Protective Services
In this episode, define child protective services, identify who a mandated reporter is, identify different ways in which child protective services can support a child and family
Breaking Down Mental Health
Breaking Down Mental Health
Human Trafficking - Intervention/Resources
In this episode, identify potential resources to support an individual that is or has been trafficked
Breaking Down Mental Health
Breaking Down Mental Health
Human Trafficking - Assessment
In this episode, identify some red flags for human trafficking, identify potential assessment tools, develop pediatric specific assessment skills for the assessment of human trafficking.
Breaking Down Mental Health
Breaking Down Mental Health
Human Trafficking 101
In this episode, define the different types of human trafficking and identify those at risk of being trafficked.
Breaking Down Mental Health
Breaking Down Mental Health
Capacity Assessments
In this episode, define what is a capacity assessment and determine what clinical situations a capacity assessment is appropriate.
Breaking Down Mental Health
Breaking Down Mental Health
Basic Coping Skills
In this episode, learn to appraise coping strategies to utilize with youth experiencing a psychiatric crisis
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Breaking Down Mental Health
Aggression Management – Pharmacological Interventions
In this episode, learn to identify medications to utilize when a patient is agitated and reflect on situations when medication is indicated to address agitation.
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Breaking Down Mental Health
Aggression Management - Nonphamacological Interventions
This episode will identify triggers for agitation and list non-pharmacological interventions to use to address agitation.
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Breaking Down Mental Health
Stigma in Mental Health
This episode will focus on stigma in mental health including access to care, bias, and a focus on vulnerable populations. Discussion will focus on strategies to normalize engagement in mental health and reducing stigma.
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Breaking Down Mental Health
Trauma Informed Care
In this episode, learn what trauma informed care is, how to apply the principals of trauma informed care in medical and emergency department settings and how to utilize this knowledge to improve patient care.
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Breaking Down Mental Health
Threat Assessments
In this episode, a threat assessment is defined, who should be involved in a threat assessment is identified, skills to discussing safety with the pediatric population are applied.
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Breaking Down Mental Health
Safety Assessment and Planning
In this episode, important aspects of a safety plan are defined and lethal means restrictions described.
Breaking Down Mental Health on blue background and text inside a yellow head graphic
Breaking Down Mental Health
What is Suicidal Ideation?
In this episode, the difference between active and passive suicidal ideation is described, strategies to respond to someone who is reporting suicidal ideation in a medical setting are identified, causes and triggers for suicidal ideation are explained.
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Breaking Down Mental Health
Pediatrics vs. Adults: Legal Distinction
This episode will center on the distinction of mental health care for adults vs. children.
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Breaking Down Mental Health
The Mental Health Code
This episode defines what the metal health code is, recipient rights, and the application of the mental health code to psychiatric and medical settings.
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Breaking Down Mental Health
The State of Mental Health
This episode will provide an overview of the mental health system in Michigan and the US. The current mental health crisis will also be explored, including strategies health professionals can use those with mental illness experiencing a psychiatric crisis.
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