Helping pediatricians support families about toddler mental health through remote telementoring
Official title: Leveraging the Extension of Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) telementoring program to improve family-centered and communication about early mental health risk in pediatric primary care
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11192315 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program uses remote mentoring to help pediatric clinicians have clearer, family-centered conversations with parents about early mental health risks in toddlers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 12, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $357,549 |
| NIH project number | 5P50MH132502-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11192315 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are parents or caregivers of toddlers who screen 'at-risk' for early mental-health concerns in pediatric primary care at participating clinics.
✕Less likely to help
Families without young children, children whose issues are unrelated to early behavioral risk, or those not seen in participating clinics are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
As a parent, I would see pediatric clinicians in participating clinics trained through the ECHO telementoring program to use brief parent-report screening and talk with families about toddler behavior. The training teaches clinicians how to manage uncertainty, decide what information to share, and tailor conversations to each family's background and beliefs. Screening results will be paired with clinician coaching and referrals to parenting programs that can improve behavior and prevent future problems. The work is run through clinics connected to Northwestern and will track whether families feel more understood and linked to services.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, families could get earlier, clearer conversations about toddler behavior and faster access to supportive parenting programs.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows parent-report screening and clinician telementoring can improve provider knowledge and child behavior, but using ECHO specifically to improve family-centered conversations about toddler mental health is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Spencer, Andrea — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Spencer, Andrea
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.