The Foreign Service Journal, September 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2016 51 Kathy Gallardo, M.D., Ph.D., is the deputy medical director for mental health programs for the Department of State. She attended medical school and graduate school at the University of California, Irvine. She went on to complete her post-graduate medical training at Yale Uni- versity, followed by sub-specialty fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Dr. Gallardo joined the State Department medical team in 2011 and has served in Southern Africa and the Middle East. She assumed her current position in the Bureau of Medical Services in August 2016. She has three children and calls Southern California home. R aising children has never been easy, and this is especially true in the For- eign Service, where both unique chal- lenges and exceptional rewards come with the territory. The Department of State’s Bureau of Medical Services (MED) knows that our parents, like a ll parents, worry that the decisions they make about their children may have long-term impact. Yet the Foreign Service lifestyle just seems to increase the stakes. Would my child be better off in the United States? Isn’t expo- sure to other cultures and languages good for children? What do I do if a teacher raises concerns about my child’s learning style or social skills? Who do I talk to? What are the options? Caring for Foreign Service employees and their dependents overseas takes many forms for MED, including making sure children with MED’S CHILD & FAMILY PROGRAM, EXPLAINED Here is an authoritative account of the aims of the CFP, presented as part of the Journal ’s ongoing discussion of concerns regarding support for children and families overseas. BY KATHY GAL LARDO behavioral health conditions and educational disabilities have access to important services they require. MED’s Mental Health Services division has a primary role in the many clinical and administrative processes involved in support of this goal, a responsibility that dates back many years. However, the State Department’s emphasis on hiring over the previous decade and deliberate efforts to support significantly increased numbers of employees and dependents overseas have resulted in new chal- lenges and opportunities for MHS. Origins of the Child and Family Program The MED/MHS Child and Family Programw as created in 2013 to address the increasingly complex issues faced by many U.S. Foreign Service personnel with dependent children who require specialized educational and behavioral health services. CFP staff member core duties include: 1) Case review for educational clearance recommendations to the Office of MED Clearances for school-age children of U.S. government personnel assigned overseas; 2) Case review for mental health clearance recommendations for child and youth dependents of government employees assigned overseas; 3) Intensive case management of the Special Needs Education Allowance program, involving eligibility determinations, annual renewals and verification of allowable expenses for qualified dependents; 4) Consultation for pediatric and adolescent behavioral health medical evacuations for urgent assessment and treatment; and 5) Clinical and administrative support to MED personnel overseas. FEATURE