Author Archives: Dr. G

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About Dr. G

Dr. Stephen Grcevich serves as President and Founder of Key Ministry, a non-profit organization providing free training, consultation, resources and support to help churches serve families of children with disabilities. Dr. Grcevich is a graduate of Northeastern Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), trained in General Psychiatry at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University. He is a faculty member in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at two medical schools, leads a group practice in suburban Cleveland (Family Center by the Falls), and continues to be involved in research evaluating the safety and effectiveness of medications prescribed to children for ADHD, anxiety and depression. He is a past recipient of the Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Dr. Grcevich was recently recognized by Sharecare as one of the top ten online influencers in children’s mental health. His blog for Key Ministry, www.church4everychild.org was ranked fourth among the top 100 children's ministry blogs in 2015 by Ministry to Children.

What type of evaluation should a child receive before starting medication?

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Dr. G

Parents need to feel confident that their child’s physician has truly taken the time to understand the causes of their child’s situation and considered a full range of medical and non-medical alternatives prior to moving forward with a treatment plan that includes prescription medication. Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Mental Health, Strategies | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

How would I know if my child would benefit from medication?

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Dr. G

Given all the controversy generated by the topic of psychiatric medication for kids and teens, I’m frequently asked for guidance and direction from parents and caregivers as to when medication is necessary and appropriate. Here are some clarifying questions I share with parents to help them in their decision making process…
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Posted in ADHD, Controversies, Hidden Disabilities, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Why does it seem so many kids are on medication?

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Dr. G

Should we be surprised so many kids are prescribed medication given what we know about the design of our mental health care delivery systems, our expectations for academic performance, the breakdown of so many families and the values of our culture? I think not. Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Depression, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Harmony Hensley representing Key Ministry at the 2013 North American Christian Convention

Posted on July 7, 2013 by Dr. G

Harmony will be speaking on the topic So, there’s this kid… She’ll be teaching on common disabilities, common misperceptions about those disabilities and provide practical tips for engaging kids with disabilities in your church. Continue reading →

Posted in Inclusion, Key Ministry, Training Events | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Weekend reading

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Dr. G

I’d like to share some suggested reading in the event you missed these posts the first time around… Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Adoption, Advocacy, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The DSM-5: Will kids with mental illness be abandoned in an evidence-based world?

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Dr. G

The tragic flaw in the DSM-5 is that the new diagnostic criteria have been declared “dead on arrival” by the leaders of the organization positioned to fund the research necessary to direct clinical care. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

DSM-5…Parents can have separation anxiety too!

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Dr. G

Separation Anxiety Disorder is the most common anxiety disorder among kids ages 12 years and under. Separation Anxiety (along with Selective Mutism) was removed from the category of Disorders Usually First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood and Adolescence and included among anxiety disorders. The similarities between separation anxiety and selective mutism and other anxiety disorders led to the decision to include them in this category. Other data leading to the inclusion of separation anxiety was the observation that 0.9-1.9% of adults meet criteria for the condition during any twelve month period.
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Posted in Anxiety Disorders, Hidden Disabilities, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Oppositional Defiant Disorder a description or a diagnosis?

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Dr. G

My problem with the diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) is that establishing the diagnosis doesn’t tell you anything about what to do to treat it. Consider it a “lite” version of Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder without the severe, protracted tantrums or meltdowns.
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Posted in ADHD, Controversies, Families, Hidden Disabilities, Key Ministry, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Does the DSM-5 harm bright kids with learning disabilities?

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Dr. G

Given the outsized role these conditions play in children’s mental health, the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for specific learning disorder represent a major fail for the field. Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, Controversies, Hidden Disabilities, Inclusion, Key Ministry, Mental Health | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

DSM-5: Recognizing the signs of trauma in kids

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Dr. G

Most importantly for the sake of our discussion, the symptom thresholds for establishing a diagnosis in children and teens have been changed to take into account differences in the ways that trauma is manifested in kids, and a unique set of diagnostic criteria have been established for identification of PTSD in kids ages six and under.
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