What are the qualifications required for a physician to be competent in diagnosing and treating children and adolescents with psychiatric problems?
A physician must be fully-trained in general psychiatry and have 2 additional, post-doctoral years of formal training in a child and adolescent psychiatry training program that is approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and recognized by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, inc and by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Click here for ACGME training requirements. General psychiatry training simply does not offer the years of special child and adolescent training and experience necessary to understand children and adolescents’ issues, family interactions, and their potential forensic issues.
