Lurie’s Children’s Hospital Research
Tompkins and Associates was sought out to be one of three Chicagoland practices chosen to be a treatment site in a national study to evaluate the best treatment practices for childhood anxiety. The PACY study (Partners in Caring for Anxious Youth) was awarded to the collaboration of Lurie Children’s Hospital, the University of California Los Angeles, and the University of Cincinnati by PCORI (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute) in 2019.
In a previously funded national study designed to measure the most effective treatment of childhood anxiety, the combination of CBT (therapy) and medication yielded a 65% remission rate compared to 35% for CBT (therapy) alone. This current study is an attempt to compare the efficacy of a longer duration of CBT (6-month acute treatment phase and 6 months of follow-up) combined with the additional variables of family involvement and treatment taking place within the community for both medication and non-medication groups.
Our Psychologists
As a treatment site for the PCAY study, all of our psychologists have received extensive training in evidenced-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and exposure-based treatment interventions, which are the basis of treatment for the study. This training extends to all clients seen in the practice and allows our psychologists to provide the most up-to-date treatment for childhood anxiety.
Tompkins and Associates was chosen because of an established referral relationship with Lurie Children’s MAACC (Mood, Anxiety and ADHD Collaborative Care) program out of their Department of Psychiatry whereby children and their families are referred to our practice for treatment.
MAACC Program- Lurie Children’s Hospital
Tompkins and Associates has been a partner with Lurie Children’s Hospital MAACC Program for over 10 years. The Mood, Anxiety, ADHD Collaborative Care (MAACC) Program at Lurie Children’s Hospital provides psychiatric and psychological evaluations of children and adolescents. Upon completion of the evaluations, families are referred to their community for treatment. The MAACC team matches families to highly skilled therapists in the community that provide evidence-based treatment for the clinical treatment issue. Tompkins and Associates is a preferred treatment provider in the greater Naperville area.
As partners in the MAACC Program, all therapists at Tompkins and Associates are trained in the gold standard of interventions for mood, anxiety, and neurodivergent diagnoses. We partner with the physicians and psychologists at Lurie Children’s Hospital to ensure a smooth transition of care and to provide the intensive individual and family interventions recommended. We also collaborate with prescribing physicians working with families in the MAACC Program. Regular consultation and collaboration are hallmarks of the MAACC Program.
Referral GPS Cares Grant
Tompkins and Associates is thrilled to partner with Referral GPS to provide therapeutic care for children, teens, and families enrolled in the Care Grant Program. Referral GPS is a DuPage County program that specializes in connecting families to high quality therapeutic care. They provide assistance to several large organizations in the area including school districts, hospitals, health care systems, and police departments to connect families in need of treatment to providers with immediate availability. They also provide screening to ensure that families are matched to providers that are in network with insurance plans and specialize in their specific areas of need.
Through this mission-driven work, Referral GPS has secured several large grants through the state of IL to provide therapeutic treatment to children and adolescents who experience multiple barriers to care including long waiting lists for providers who are in network with their insurance plans. The Cares Grants provide access to therapeutic interventions with high quality treatment providers in the community. Families can enter the Cares Grant Program through a referral from their school district, after which the Referral GPS team will match them to a partnering provider in their community. Tompkins and Associates shares the vision and mission of the Cares Grant Program to reduce barriers to care for all who seek therapy in our community.