CPAN Case of the Month – June 2023

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Each month, PCPs call CPAN with a wide variety of mental health questions. Find out how CPAN recently helped a PCP support a family looking for resources for a foster child in their care

Patient: Adolescent male with possible new onset depression and/or anxiety

Reason for CPAN Consultation: The PCP wanted to discuss treatment plans for patient

A CPAN provider consulted with a PCP regarding an adolescent African American male living with foster parents who were of a different race. The presenting concerns were incessant bullying at school along with a decline in mood and isolation from the family. The foster parents were interested in enrolling him in therapy with a provider of the same race as their son, as they felt it might provide him with even greater support.

Outcome: The CPAN provider discussed the importance of including the teen in these discussions to understand his preferences related to connecting with a therapist- would it be important for the therapist to be male or not, be of the same race or not? Including the young person helps promote agency and shows them that their family is open to the difficult topic of race and bias. The provider then provided the PCP with contact information for a professional organization that has a listserv for African American behavioral health providers. The resource coordinator further assisted them. The PCP was extremely grateful to have a thoughtful conversation around race and patient therapist preference.