As representatives and leaders of the American Association of Directors of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AADCAP), we express grief, anger, and sorrow over the deaths of George Floyd, Breona Taylor, and Ahmaund Arbery at the hands of law enforcement.  Racism has been a persistent and malignant undercurrent in American society, and violence against minorities is part of this picture, particularly for African-Americans. 

D. Richard Martini, MD
AADCAP President

Tami Benton, MD
AADCAP President-Elect

Victor Fornari, MD
AADCAP Past President

Brief mentions (<3 mins) of relevant topics (below) then the remainder open for topic discussions or whatever’s on your mind. 

Relevant topics include:

1. Administrative issues including: financial stressors, hiring freezes, need to reopen programs (Mike Sorter, MD)
2. Challenges in the provision of care presented by various programs and clinical locations, including differences between hospital-based versus ambulatory services, care in children’s hospitals versus psychiatric facilities, and the demands of CL and Emergency Services (Tami Benton, MD)
3. Determining the most appropriate balance between direct and virtual patient contacts now and in the future (Victor Fornari, MD)
4. A focus on training and education that addresses the loss of supervision during the acute phase of the pandemic, the most appropriate platform for patient care and supervision, and how to involve trainees in this process (Sheila Marcus. MD)
5. Restarting research programs, particularly those focused on clinical studies including the possibility of IRB modifications, changes in the way the work is done, and the use of virtual contacts (David Axelson, MD).