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ForwardECHO-Chicago: Toddler Mental Health in Primary Care: When to Worry, What to Say, What to Do
September 23, 2026 to December 2, 2026
When to Worry, What to Say, What to Do
When a young child shows signs of emotional or behavioral concerns, primary care clinicians are often among the first professionals families turn to, but knowing when to worry, how to start the conversation, and what to do next can be challenging.
This interactive series will give clinicians practical, evidence-based strategies for recognizing and assessing toddler mental health concerns, engaging families in supportive and culturally responsive conversations, and determining appropriate next steps. Through sessions focused on topics such as irritability and tantrums, social and family context, mental health risk assessment, communication with families from diverse backgrounds, referrals, and behavioral interventions, participants will build skills they can put into practice with young children and their families.
Join us to strengthen your confidence in addressing toddler mental health in primary care and gain practical tools for navigating these important conversations, from recognizing early concerns to connecting families with appropriate support.
Target Audience
This activity is designed for primary care clinicians who treat young children, including pediatricians, family medicine physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
Learning Objectives
After this activity, participants will be able to:
- Apply evidence-based approaches to toddler mental health screening, risk assessment, and triage in primary care.
- Communicate toddler mental health risk with families using culturally affirming, family-centered, and non-stigmatizing approaches.
- Interpret early indicators of toddler mental health risk within developmental, familial, and systemic contexts.
- Develop evidence-based, developmentally appropriate, and culturally aligned strategies for toddler emotional and behavioral health in partnership with families.
- Formulate referral plans for toddlers with mental health risk based on clinical findings, family needs, and available behavioral health resources.
| Date | Session | Faculty |
|---|---|---|
| September 23 | Toddler Mental Health Risk, Irritability, and Tantrums | Andrea Spencer, MD |
| September 30 | Social & Family Context | Audrey Brewer, MD, MPH & Iheoma Iruka, PhD |
| October 7 | The DECIDE Tool | Andrea Spencer, MD |
| October 14 | Engaging Families About Mental Health Risk | Audrey Brewer, MD, MPH |
| October 21 | Communicating Toddler Mental Health Risk with Families of Diverse Backgrounds | Andrea Spencer, MD |
| October 28 | No Session | |
| November 4 | Using DECIDE to Make a Successful Referral to FCU Online and Other Services | John Parkhurst, PhD |
| November 11 | Behavioral Interventions for Toddler Mental Health Promotion in Primary Care | John Parkhurst, PhD & Susan Friedland, MD |
| November 18 | Wrap Up & Focus Group Discussion | John Parkhurst, PhD, Andrea Spencer, MD, Audrey Brewer, MD, MPH |
The agenda is subject to change.
Online Webinar
Chicago, IL
United States
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
To learn more about the ECHO-Chicago curricula, visit our website!
ACCESSIBILITY The University of Chicago is committed to providing equal access appropriate to need and circumstances and complies fully with legal requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you are in need of special accommodation, please contact ECHO-Chicago via email.
The University of Chicago reserves the right to cancel or postpone this conference due to unforeseen circumstances. In the unlikely event this activity must be cancelled or postponed, the registration fee will be refunded; however, the University of Chicago is not responsible for any related costs, charges, or expenses to participants, including fees assessed by airline/travel/lodging agencies.
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PLANNING COMMITTEE
Audrey Brewer, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
John Parkhurst, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Andrea Spencer, MD
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Disclosure Declarations
As a provider accredited by the ACCME, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine asks everyone in a position to control the content of an educational activity to disclose all financial relationships with any ineligible companies. This includes any entity whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Financial relationships are relevant if a financial relationship, in any amount, exists between the person in control of content and an ineligible company during the past 24 months, and the content of the education is related to the products of an ineligible company with whom the person has a financial relationship. Mechanisms are in place to identify and mitigate any relevant financial relationships before the start of the activity.
Additionally, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine requires Authors to identify investigational products or off-label uses of products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at first mention and where appropriate in the content.
As a provider accredited by the ACCME, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine asks everyone in a position to control the content of an educational activity to disclose all financial relationships with any ineligible companies. This includes any entity whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Financial relationships are relevant if a financial relationship, in any amount, exists between the person in control of content and an ineligible company during the past 24 months, and the content of the education is related to the products of an ineligible company with whom the person has a financial relationship. Mechanisms are in place to identify and mitigate any relevant financial relationships before the start of the activity.
Additionally, the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine requires Authors to identify investigational products or off-label uses of products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at first mention and where appropriate in the content.
Physician Credit
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 8 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Other Participant Credit
Other participants will receive a Certificate of Participation. For information on the applicability and acceptance of Certificates of Participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME, please consult your professional licensing board.
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 8 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Other Participant Credit
Other participants will receive a Certificate of Participation. For information on the applicability and acceptance of Certificates of Participation for educational activities certified for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from organizations accredited by the ACCME, please consult your professional licensing board.
Please note: The credit-claiming process closes 1 month after the activity ends. Requests submitted more than 1 month after the event date may incur additional fees.
Registration: For more information about ECHO, visit the program website below.
Claiming Credit: Enter the access code to unlock the credit-claiming process.
Please note: The credit-claiming process closes 1 month after the activity ends. Requests submitted more than 1 month after the event date may incur additional fees.
Please note: The credit-claiming process closes 1 month after the activity ends. Requests submitted more than 1 month after the event date may incur additional fees.
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