The Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) service has been running in the Department from the beginning. Earlier it was primarily an outpatient clinic-based service called Child Guidance Clinic (CGC), but since the starting of DM-CAP course in 2014, the services have been enhanced to inpatient service, special clinics, community psychiatry and telepsychiatry based service. Training of manpower is an essential component.
Child and Adolescent Services are provided through Room No. 203, Psychiatry OPD on all working days. Children and adolescents with a myriad of neuro-developmental, emotional and behavioural problems are attended to. Some of the common problems and disorders seen are as follows:
Interventions include pharmacotherapy and psycho-social interventions including play therapy, family interventions and other psychotherapies.
Special Clinics
The following Special Clinics are run for group parent training interventions
Parent interventions through Telepsychiatry
A separate Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Ward caters to needs of patients needing admission for purposes of diagnosis and/ or intervention.
The Department of Psychiatry runs a 3-year DM (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) training program. The goal of the program is to create such super specialists in the field of CAP, who can function as experts in the field proficient in clinical acumen/skills of patient care; in active teaching; productive research; and advocacy. The content of the curriculum includes clinical CAP, Infant Psychiatry, Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse, Neuro-Development and child neurology, Disabilities and rehabilitation, General Pediatrics as applicable to CAP, C-L Psychiatry, Theories of development and clinical child psychology, Community CAP mental health, Legal, administrative perspectives on child and adolescent mental health and Therapeutics.
Additionally, Junior Residents (MD trainees) are also posted with Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services on a rotational basis.
Service Responsibilities of CAP SR
Common service responsibilities of CAP SR
The SR is overall co-coordinator of the CAP OPD services and ensures smooth functioning of CAP OPD.CAP OPD SR has following responsibilities:
Service responsibilities while posted in CAP ward
Is the main co-ordinator and overall I/C of the ward
Following admission of any patient to the ward, the ward SRsmust: o Receive the patient at admission
First, assess the severity of the patient, prioritize the need of the patient andmanage accordingly must write an admission note
Service Responsibilities of CAP JR