IACAM ACADEMY
AN INITIATIVE OF THE INDIAN ASSOCIATION FOR CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH
Mission
The mission of IACAM ACADEMY is to increase manpower resource in India in the field of child and adolescent mental health and facilitate accessibility of mental health services to children and adolescents in a timely manner thus reducing the mental health gap.
Courses
The courses offered by The Academy are designed for upgradation of knowledge and skill in dealing with cases of Child & Adolescent Psychiatric disorders.
Resources
The IACAM ACADEMY was initiated by Dr. Savita Malhotra Ex Dean and Professor and Head Department of Psychiatry and Drug Deaddiction and Treatment Center PGIMER Chandigarh on Aug 7, 2021. The course speakers are renowned psychiatrists from India and abroad with many years of experience of working with children and adolescents and their families.
Vision
IACAM ACADEMY envisages to make the general psychiatrists and child care professionals more competent in dealing with psychiatric disorders of childhood and adolescence; have better knowledge about common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents; empower them with clinical methods and approaches to assessment of children and adolescents while incorporating a developmental perspective in holistic management of cases.
Certificate Course Batches
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Certificate Course in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry for General Psychiatrists (Batch 1)
Certificate Course in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry for General Psychiatrists (Batch 2)
Certificate Course in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry for General Psychiatrists (Batch 3)
Certificate Course in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry for General Psychiatrists -Batch [IV]
Certificate Course in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry for General Psychiatrists -Batch [V]
Certificate Course in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry for General Psychiatrists -Batch [VI]
Batches Timeline
Batch 6
Registration will start from 31 Dec 2025 10 pm onwards
Dr Velprashanth Venkatesan,MBBS (Govt. Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai) ,
Dr. Uttara Chari is a certified Clinical Psychologist and Special Educator. Trained at the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences; Dr. Chari is Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru. Her clinical work is informed by a psychodynamic approach. She trains psychiatry residents in psychological assessments and therapies; and teaches psychology to medical and para-medical undergraduates. She serves as Chief Editor of the e-textbook of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professionals, and is an early-career mentor at this organization.
Dr Shalini Naik is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at PGIMER, Chandigarh, whose work bridges psychotherapy, neuroscience, addiction psychiatry, and child and adolescent mental health. Trained at NIMHANS with formal specialisation in psychodynamic psychotherapy, she brings a thoughtful, person-centred approach to clinical care while advancing research in neuromodulation in various psychiatric conditions. Her ongoing research work on digital media use and internet overuse among children and adolescents reflects a deep commitment to addressing emerging mental health challenges in young people. Her contributions have been recognised with several prestigious national and international honours, including Indian Psychiatric Society Young Psychiatrist Award, NIDA–ISAM Young Investigator Award, Schizophrenia International Research Society Early Career Academic Excellence Award, ISBD Early- and Mid-Career Mentee Award, etc. She is passionate about teaching, mentorship, and innovation.
e Care Department at IHBAS. Her populations of interest are adolescents, young adults, and emerging adults. Her research interests encompass youth mental health, self-harm, psychosocial issues, palliative care, transdiagnostic therapies, early parenting environments, and psychological trauma. She has received grants from ICSSR, ICMR, and DST. She is a professional member of the APA Trauma Division-56, serves as Associate Editor of the Indian Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, and is the Assistant Secretary General of IASP (2024-2028). She has been awarded the Buckshey Award (2023), J C Marfatia Award (2023), Bombay Psychiatric Society Silver Jubilee Award (2024), and Balint Award (2025).
Dr Eesha Sharma is an Associate Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru. A clinician-researcher with over a decade of experience, her work focuses on developmental psychopathology, early-onset psychiatric disorders, and the interaction of neurobiological and environmental determinants of mental health. She has been centrally involved in several large national and international collaborative studies, including cVEDA, the National Mental Health Survey of India, and the ICMR-funded PARAM cohort. Her academic interests span population neuroscience, childhood adversity, and translational mental health interventions.