Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

San Diego ADHD Project (SANDAP)

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The San Diego ADHD Project (SANDAP) is under the direction of the Developmental Services Division of Rady Children’s and the Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC). The project’s goal is to improve the identification and treatment of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in San Diego County. The project plans to meet this goal by developing models of care that are evidence-based, collaborative and coordinated. The project targets families, primary care doctors, mental health professionals and school personnel.

The goals of the project are to:

Develop a model for the care of children with ADHD in San Diego that is evidence-based (incorporating the most up-to-date knowledge) and uses:

• Identification and treatment packets to improve the diagnostic and treatment process (available in English and Spanish).
• Evidence-based treatment pathways for children with ADHD cared for by primary care doctors and by mental health professionals.
• Training sessions for doctors on the identification and treatment of ADHD.
• A website (www.sandiegoadhd.org) to provide up-to-date knowledge for parents, clinicians and teachers.
• Tool kits for doctors to facilitate the treatment of children with ADHD (including handouts and medical records charts).

Develop a model for the care of children with ADHD in San Diego that is collaborative and links families, primary care doctors, mental health providers and school-based services by:

• Clarification of referral pathways.
• Consultation with a medication consultant for primary care doctors.

Develop a model for the care of children with ADHD in San Diego that is coordinated and allows families, primary care clinicians, mental health providers and school-based services to share information with one another through:

• Standardized forms.
• Technological innovations (website, Internet, faxes) to improve coordination of care.

Currently, the project is:

• Working with nine doctors’ offices in San Diego County to provide up-to-date identification and treatment for children with ADHD.
• Developing a website for parents, doctors and teachers (sandiegoadhd.org).

Partners in this project include Rady Children’s; CASRC; the local chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Balboa Naval Hospital; the University of California, San Diego, Department of Pediatrics; primary care health networks (including Children’s Primary Care Medical Group, East County Community Health Services and Scripps Clinics); behavioral health organizations; school districts, and the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.

The project is under the direction of: Laurel K. Leslie, M.D., Kristin Gist, M.S., Jill Weckerly, Ph.D., and Katina Lambros, Ph.D.