2025/2026 Lifespan eCourse

Registration Information

Registration Opens: December 1, 2025
Course Opens: December 1, 2025 (self-paced)
Registration Closes: January 30, 2026
Course Closes: January 30, 2026 (no extensions allowed)

Course Pricing:
AACPDM Members: $99
Non-AACPDM Members: $199

Course Information

Presentation Title:
Transition of Mental Health Care in Adolescents and Young Adults with Medical Complexity eCourse

Course Summary:
Many youth and young adults with complex health care needs receive little or no transition preparation to adult providers (CDC), especially with regards to mental health needs. Children with medical complexity face extra barriers (fragmentation, lack of adult providers, and inadequate training). Furthermore, families and patients report stress, worse experiences, and sometimes stopping care after transfer. Transition of care is optimized by a comprehensive team, which, in addition to the patient, may include family, physicians, nurses, therapists, social workers, educators, legal representations, and advocates. This course will explore these roles further, illustrate some of the pitfalls of mental health transition in this patient population, and outline strategies for optimizing transition of care.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

Understand what roles are needed to help ensure an appropriate transition of mental health care for adolescents and young adults with medical complexity.
Identify specific barriers that exist in the patient population for a successful transition.
To understand what benefits are available to adolescents and young adults with medical complexity and what resources (such as social workers, counselors, legal aide, financial planners) are available to help navigate.
To know parent/caregiver resources available to promote psychosocial well-being in this population.
To better understand how and when to facilitate conversations with shared decision making with families. To understand which stakeholders should ideally be part of the team.

Speaker Information:

Kathleen Friel, PhD
Dr. Friel received her B.A. in Biology at Rice University, an M.S. in Neuroscience at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, and a Ph.D. in Neurophysiology from the University of Kansas Medical Center. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center. She also received a M.S. in Biostatistics from Columbia University, with a focus on patient-oriented research. Her research focuses on the importance of motor activity in neurorehabilitation.

Dr. Kathleen Friel stepped down from her position in late 2024.

Jennifer Pimentel
Jennifer Pimentel, a native of New Jersey, joined the Weinberg Family CP Center in December 2021 as the Care and Outreach Coordinator. In her role, she coordinates all aspects of care for patients and acts as representative of the CP Center, collaborating with other internal departments and with external community-based organizations.

Jennifer's expertise centers around service coordination in Early Intervention Programs in NJ as well as the University of Miami, Jersey City Medical Center and case management with a non-profit organization for adults with disabilities.

Monica Mann, BA
Monica Mann is the Director of Benefit and Support Planning at Eli’s Village, where she supports families navigating the disability service world with care and expertise. Inspired by her experience as a sister to two siblings with Down Syndrome, Monica is passionate about breaking down barriers so that individuals of all abilities can thrive. With over a decade of experience in Developmental Services, a degree in Psychology from Longwood University, and volunteer work with organizations such as Special Olympics and Camp Easter Seals, Monica brings both professional knowledge and personal understanding to her work.

Irene Dietz, MD
Irene Cihon Dietz, MD is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University and the Director of the Comprehensive Care Program at MetroHealth Medical Center for over 20 years. Dr. Dietz did her medical training at the University of Cincinnati, School of Medicine, followed by a Pediatric Residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Dietz holds specialty board certification in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, and Hospice and Palliative Care Medicine. She has a special interest in interdisciplinary, family centered care and transition to adult services for children with childhood onset complex needs. Special interests include primary and specialty care, and outcomes for individuals with neurobehavioral conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida and hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and technology dependence.

She is a 25 + year member of the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine, and a founding member of the Complex Care Committee for the AACPDM. She is also a current member of the AACPDM Lifespan Committee, American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. She has served on multiple regional, state and national committees, including SDBP Advocacy Committee , serving as an appointed member of the DBP PREP Board of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the ARC of Ohio Board of Directors, and the Medical Advisory Board of the Complex Medical Help Program (CMH), formerly called Children with Medical Handicaps(BCMH), a health care program in the Ohio Department of Health.

Ann Tilton, MD
Dr. Ann Tilton is a Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at Louisiana State Health Science Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. She serves as the Service Line Chief of Neurology, Director of the Rehabilitation Center, and Director of the Comprehensive Spasticity Program at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. Her special interests include neurorehabilitation, neuromuscular disorders, and the clinical applications and research of novel uses of botulinum toxin and intrathecal baclofen in managing abnormal tone in both children and adults. Dr. Tilton has received numerous awards for her innovative contributions in this field.

Dr. Tilton has held significant leadership roles at the national level. She has served in various capacities within the Child Neurology Society (CNS), including as President. She is also the immediate past president of the Child Neurology Foundation (CNF). She is actively involved with the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Board of Directors, where she previously served as Vice President and is currently a committee chair.

In 2024, Dr. Tilton was honored with the President’s Award by the American Academy of Neurology.

A strong advocate for residency education, Dr. Tilton has served as a member and Vice-Chair of the ACGME Neurology Residency Review Committee (RRC) and recently concluded her role as Chair of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). Additionally, she has a long-standing commitment to mentorship and leadership training. In 2022, the AAN Leadership Programs recognized her as the Mentor of the Year.

Dr. Tilton has been board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with Special Qualifications in Child Neurology, and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in Clinical Neurophysiology. She has authored numerous publications on various topics and presented her work nationally and internationally.

Mary Hawkes, DNP
Mary Hawkes is an RN and the parent of an adult with multiple disabilities. She is a graduate of the University of Rochester School of Nursing and the University of Minnesota doctoral nursing program. As the parent of a child with disabilities, she has an avid interest in finding ways to support families with medical complexity. Mary has worked in a variety of settings and joined the nursing faculty at Minneapolis college when she relocated to Minnesota. She retired in 2024 after fifteen years of teaching.

Anne Lee
Annie is Mary's 34-year-old daughter. She was born in New Hampshire but moved to Minnesota with her family at age 13. She is the second oldest of her sibling group with one older brother and two younger sisters. Annie began having seizures at 8 weeks of age. She had a functional hemispherectomy at UCLA at age 22 months and a VP shunt placed at age 3. While she has had brief reprieves from frequent seizures she now contends with seizures on a daily basis. Throughout childhood she had frequent hospitalizations and interactions with healthcare team members and she is currently followed by multiple specialists. Anne is very social and with the help of others she is active. With the help of her PCA, she volunteers at the Minnesota Arboretum, works with a personal trainer, is a regular at Lifetime Fitness and sees friends often. Because of her frequent seizures Anne needs very close supervision. In spite of her many challenges Anne is a happy and enthusiastic member of our family and our community.

Rachael Juehring, PhD
Rachael Juehring, Ph.D., is a pediatric psychologist at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. She specializes in supporting children and families coping with traumatic injuries, complex medical needs, and chronic conditions. She earned her bachelor’s degree from New York University and her master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Northern Illinois University. Dr. Juehring completed her clinical internship in pediatric psychology at the University of Florida Health Science Center and a fellowship at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. Before joining Ranken Jordan in 2017, she worked as a pediatric psychologist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital with a focus on endocrinology and consultationliaison services. At Ranken Jordan, Dr. Juehring serves on several committees, including Ethics, Traumatic Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury, and Palliative Care. Her work emphasizes care team collaboration to integrate psychological care into medical and rehabilitation treatment, enhancing recovery and quality of life for children and families.

Chanelle White
Chenelle White is a 20-year-old African-American woman from St. Louis, MO, who sustained a spinal cord injury at age 11, resulting in paraplegia. She began public speaking around age 12 years by visiting schools to educate students about inclusivity and disability awareness. Since then, Chenelle has grown into a passionate advocate for disability rights, participating in national programs and leadership opportunities. She is an alumna of the Disability EmpowerHer Network, where she attended an inclusive wilderness camping trip and presented a community project on school safety for students with disabilities during a leadership summit in Washington, D.C. She also took part in the Fannie Lou Leadership Program, further strengthening her skills in advocacy and civic engagement.

In addition to her leadership work, Chenelle has published two blogs on the impact of disability and injury and remains deeply connected to the outdoors. She is an active member of the Disabled Athlete Sports Association (DASA), where she enjoys water skiing, climbing trees, and other adaptive sports. Through her speaking, writing, and athletic pursuits, Chenelle continues to inspire others and promote a vision of a more inclusive world.

CME/CEU Information

CME/CEU will be available through the course's platform (Blue Sky).

Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Amedco LLC and American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Development Medicine. Amedco LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. Professions in scope for this activity are listed below.

Amedco Joint Accreditation Provider Number: 4008163

Physicians (ACCME) Credit Designation
Amedco LLC designates this material for a maximum of 4.00 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM for physicians. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Individual Cancellation Policy:

Cancellation Policy:
All requests for cancellation must be received in writing by November 30, 2025. A 75% refund will be granted for requests received before this date. No refunds will be granted after November 30, 2025. All refunds will be processed after the ecourse takes place.

Provider Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation of the eCourse by the AACPDM will result in all pre-registered attendees receiving a 100% refund.