International OCD Foundation, Inc. HQ

On average, it takes individuals with OCD 17 years from the onset of symptoms to receive an accurate diagnosis and begin receiving effective treatment. The IOCDF is committed to changing this statistic. In 1995, we launched our flagship training opportunity for mental health professionals: the Behavioral Therapy Training Institute (BTTI). The BTTI is a three-day program that focuses on teaching cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) -- specifically, exposure with response prevention (ERP) -- to clinicians who work with OCD and related disorders. Treating OCD is not a standard part of the curriculum in any of the therapeutic disciplines, and the BTTI is designed to meet the need for specialized training among providers with a wide range of experience and education levels. Over the years, we have added more specialized programming to the BTTI in response to growing demand. In 2013, we began offering a Pediatric BTTI for clinicians who work with children and teens. The following year, we added a Hoarding BTTI that focused on working with individuals with hoarding disorder.

In 2016, we further expanded upon the BTTI to create the IOCDF Training Institute. The Training Institute offers a comprehensive curriculum that addresses a variety of specialties and issues pertaining to the OCD and related disorders community, while providing continuing education credits to qualified professionals.

The curriculum is formatted in the style of higher education course catalogs, ranging from 100-level basic training to the 400-level advanced training. 100-level courses are designed to introduce trainees and clinicians to the world of OCD and related disorders, while 400-level courses are intended for seasoned providers who are interested in advanced topics in the field. The Training Institute also offers opportunities for online learning: several100-level classes are available online through our partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital's Psychiatry Academy, and our 300-level classes include Online Consultation Groups that allow clinicians to troubleshoot challenging OCD and related disorders cases with peers and experts in the field. As the Training Institute continues to grow, we are excited to offer more online and remote learning opportunities to further expand the global pool of trained clinicians.

Since 1993, the International OCD Foundation's Annual OCD Conference has been the only national event focused solely on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders. This extraordinary event brings mental health professionals, individuals with OCD, and their loved ones together to build community and learn about the latest treatments, research, and practice in OCD and related disorders. Every year, our goal is to bring mental health professionals, people with OCD, and their families together to learn, connect, and build a stronger community. Our hope is that each attendee will be inspired to advocate in their home communities for those living with OCD.

The Conference features more than 120 presentations, workshops, and evening activities, as well as nearly two dozen support groups. Our presenters include some of the most experienced and knowledgeable clinicians and researchers in the field, as well as individuals with OCD and family members who graciously share their stories. The conference also includes professional trainings (including continuing education opportunities), 35+ support groups for a variety of populations, evening activities, receptions, and other networking activities. In 2017, we introduced a free, fully integrated Conference Mobile App that allows conference attendees to view the schedule, read presentation abstracts, and use the interactive venue map.

Our Pediatric Outreach Program aims to reach not only children and teens affected by OCD, but also their friends, family, classmates, teachers, mental health care providers, and pediatricians. The Pediatric Outreach Program has two main components: raising awareness and providing general education about OCD to families, school personnel, and the general public; and training professionals to effectively diagnose and treat pediatric OCD and related disorders. Grant funds will cover the costs of conducting outreach to pediatricians, school psychologists, parents and mental health providers, with the ultimate goal of connecting them with audience-appropriate information and professional training opportunities that focus on pediatric OCD.

Our primary awareness-raising and educational strategy is our website at www.ocdinkids.org. The website provides up-to-date information on pediatric OCD to children, teens, parents, school personnel, and healthcare providers. The site’s content has been written by members of the IOCDF Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board, which is comprised of some of the leading experts in pediatric OCD. We know that one of the most effective ways to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness is to provide personal accounts from individuals with OCD about their struggles and accomplishments in managing their symptoms. As such, an additional piece of our efforts to raise awareness about OCD includes publishing first-hand accounts from children, teens, and parents on our main website, blog, and in print in our quarterly newsletter

We have also worked with the Board to develop informational brochures, fact sheets, and FAQs about pediatric OCD and PANDAS/PANS. PANS is an acronym for Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, which is associated with a variety of different infections, whereas PANDAS is a disorder associated with only streptococcal infections.

We ensure that pediatric OCD is well-represented at our Annual OCD Conference. The conference is unique in that individuals with the disorder, their family members, and mental health professionals all attend the conference together and learn side-by-side. In 2014, we began offering an intensive pre-conference training on pediatric OCD, as well as conference sessions that focused on topics in pediatric OCD and a “mini-track” devoted to PANDAS/PANS.

As part of the IOCDF Training Institute, we are expanding the continuing education and training opportunities for healthcare professionals who treat children and adolescents. After a successful pilot launch of several in-person trainings, we are re-launching our Pediatrician Partnership Program as an online educational opportunity this fall. The goal of the Pediatrician Partnership Program to ensure that pediatricians (almost always the “front door” for families who are struggling with OCD) are up-to-date in their knowledge of how to properly assess, diagnose, and treat pediatric OCD and PANDAS/PANS. This will be a companion outreach with our Pediatric Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) for mental health professionals. Launched in 2013, the Pediatric BTTI covers the specifics of assessment, diagnosis, and effective treatment for pediatric OCD. The training involves lectures, small-group case consultation, and follow-up phone consultations with pediatric OCD experts.

Our newest program under the Pediatric umbrella is Anxiety in the Classroom, an online OCD resource center for school personnel, students, and their families. The website provides general information, resources, and materials about anxiety and OCD as they relate to the school setting, as well as more specific tools for teachers, administrators, and other school personnel who may work with students with anxiety or OCD. Parents and students will also find tools and information to help them advocate for any specific needs they may have at school, in addition to educating their teachers and classmates about OCD and anxiety.

In 2012, Denis Asselin walked over 500 miles -- or roughly 1 million steps -- from his home in Cheyney, Pennsylvania to Boston, Massachusetts in memory of his son, Nathaniel. Nathaniel took his own life at just 24, after a long struggle with severe body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and OCD. After Nathaniel's death, Denis decided to embark on a pilgrimage to honor Nathaniel and raise awareness about the disorder that stole his young son's life. On June 5, 2012, Denis completed his walk in Boston and was greeted by the staff of the International OCD Foundation, as well as friends, family, and members of the OCD community at a rally to honor Denis and support BDD and OCD awareness. The first 1 Million Steps 4 OCD was created the following year in Boston, with the goal of raising awareness, funds, and hope. The walk has since spread to four U.S. cities and countless communities overseas, as well as a virtual "walk" that allows our supporters to participate from anywhere around the world.