Understanding Pica
Episode Description
In this episode, we dive into a complex and often misunderstood behavioral eating disorder: pica.
Characterized by the persistent craving and ingestion of non-food substances—such as soil, chalk, fabric, or metal—pica presents unique clinical and safety challenges, particularly within the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) community.
Our guest today is Dr. Mary O’Neill, principal psychologist with the Bureau of Clinical Project Management at the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD).
Together, we define pica, discuss what it means for ensuring safety in care settings, and how providers can build environments that prioritize both dignity and life-saving supervision.
Featured Guests:
Dr. Mary O’Neill, Director of Bureau of Clinical Project Management, NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities
Resources:
- Spotlight on Prevention: Could This Happen In Your Program? Toolkit
- OPWDD Health and Safety Alert: Important Information about Pica
- The OPWDD Pica Training is offered through SLMS (Statewide Learning Management System).
- You can search the SLMS for the Pica Training using the following class code: OPWDD-EL-PICAISMT
- For detailed instructions on how to use SLMS, visit the SLMS Reference page on the OPWDD website.
Subscribe & Never Miss An Update!
Subscribe to the Could This Happen In Your Program? podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, GoodPods, and many other podcast networks, or view it on YouTube.