Project ECHO Autism-Primary Care Providers
In partnership with WellCare of North Carolina (WellCare), we are seeking primary care providers in North Carolina who have individuals with an autism spectrum disorder of any age on their caseload and who would like to develop their expertise in working with this population.
What is Project ECHO?
Project ECHO is an online learning and guided practice model that is revolutionizing professional health education. The program links clinicians practicing in local communities (“spokes”) with specialist care teams (“hubs”). It is hosted in a teleconsultation format involving a mix of didactic presentations and in-depth case consultations.
Autism affects one out of every 36 children in the state of North Carolina. Referrals to specialty clinics often involve travel and long waitlists for families. We want to support local primary care providers to improve their knowledge and confidence in providing evidence-based strategies and treatment to individuals with ASD.
Who is eligible? What is the cost?
Providers including pediatricians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses in primary care practices in North Carolina who have autistic individuals of any age on their caseload and who would like to develop their expertise in working with this population.
Continuing medical education (CME) credits, contact hours, and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be provided for attendance. Maintenance of Certification (MOC) IV credits will be provided if the project requirements are met. The MOC IV project is voluntary, and the requirements are discussed in the first session. If you have questions about CME or MOC IV, please contact Lisa Renfrow at Lisa.Renfrow@arealahec.org. There is no charge to you for CME or for MOC IV credits.
Meet the Team
Nicole Dreiling, Ph.D.; Clinical Psychologist (Clinical Director, Raleigh TEACCH)
Rob Christian, MD, FAAP Developmental Pediatrician (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities)
Celeste Carter Kenney, M.Ed., Autism Specialist (Raleigh TEACCH)
Nancy Popkin, Autism Resource Specialist (Autism Society of North Carolina)
What does the participation entail?
Your commitment to participation would include 90-minute teleconsultation events held two times monthly. Each session will occur on the 1st and 3rd Mondays each month from 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM.
The dates and didactic topic schedule are as follows:
09/16/2024: Autism Screening (MCHAT) and Follow-Up
10/7/2024: What is Autism
10/21/2024: Evidence-Based Interventions for ASD
11/4/2024: Supporting Families
11/18/2024: ADHD and ASD-Differential Diagnosis and Medication Management
12/02/2024: Anxiety and ASD-Differential Diagnosis and Medication Management
12/16/2024: Navigating Services
01/06/2025: Understanding Access to Special Education Services
02/03/2025: Pediatric Feeding Disorders in ASD
02/17/2025: Irritability and Agitation in Patients with ASD
03/03/2025: Sleep and Autism
03/17/2025: Transition to Adulthood
Continuing Education Credits
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Southern States CME Collaborative (SSCC) through the joint providership of Area L AHEC and TEACCH Autism Program. Area L AHEC is accredited by the SSCC to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Health Education Foundation/Area L AHEC designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ for each session. Physicians should claim only those credits commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Continuing Education Units/Contact Hours: Area L AHEC is an approved provider of CEUs & contact hours. Each session will award 0.2 CEU and 1.5 contact hours. CEUs are calculated in tenths (Ex: 0.2 CEU = 1.5 educational hours).
Register Here: https://unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0lloF7By0NVQzVY
If you have any questions, please email teacch_echomd@med.unc.edu or visit our website.