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  • Q & A with Dr. Charles Huffine
    huffineI am a native of Seattle. I attended medical school and completed my psychiatric and child/adolescent psychiatry training at the University of Washington in Seattle. I have practiced part time in mental health centers and child serving agencies in the Seattle area since I left training in 1975.  I am currently the assistant medical director for child and adolescent programs at the King County Mental Health, Chemical Abuse and Dependency Services Division.

    I had been on the planning team, and was a participant in implementing our managed health care plan, under our state’s 1915b CMS waiver. As a part of my county responsibilities I have served as medical director for our SAMHSA “Comprehensive Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families” grant and our innovative Blended Funding Project, both of which offer family centered, integrated services for youth.

    I have been affiliated with the Dialectical Behavior Therapy research and training program at the University of Washington Department of Psychology and currently am the president of the Board of the Marie Institute, a non-profit which holds Behavioral Technologies, a group that supports and trains mental health professionals in DBT and other evidence based treatments.

    I also have an active, community oriented, private practice specializing in adolescents with behavior disorders. As a past president of the American Association of Community Psychiatrists I have remained active at the board level, particularly as co-chair of the LOCUS/CALOCUS Committee. As one of the few child and adolescent psychiatrists affiliated with the board I have been particularly active in all issues surrounding community mental health issues for children and adolescents.

    I maintain an active liaison for the AACP with the CMHS Children’s Mental Health Initiative grant community and their technical advisory contractors. I also provide liaison with the national Federation of Families. In addition I maintain strong liaison with the American Society of Adolescent Psychiatry. Through the ASAP and the AACP I am part of the leadership seeking deletion of the diagnosis of Conduct Disorder from future editions of the DSM.