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Pediatric Mental Health Care Access

This program brings behavioral health consultation, training, and support to pediatric primary care and other providers so that children’s mental health needs are met.

Access the FY 2023 Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) Awards Chart or the FY 2022 PMHCA Awards Chart to find the organizations and amounts HRSA invested.

Are you a provider who needs support providing pediatric behavioral health care?

Access information and tele-consultation services

Empowering Pediatricians with a Mental Health Support Program for Kids | AAP

Increasing access to pediatric mental health care

We want to make sure that providers working with children in primary care practices, schools, emergency departments and other settings are confident and competent to screen and help children with behavioral conditions. Our Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) programs build workforce capacity.

We aim to make early identification, diagnosis, treatment, and referral of behavioral conditions a routine part of children's health care services. We fund state and regional pediatric mental health care teams. These teams provide:

  • Tele-consultation and training to pediatric primary care providers
  • Resources and referrals to providers, families, and community members

PMHCA quick facts

  • Funding began in 2018 with $10 million dollars to fund 21 PMHCA programs.
  • In 2021, the American Rescue Plan provided additional funding of $80 million dollars, supporting 29 PMHCA awards through 2025.
  • The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, enacted in 2022, provided an additional $80 million dollars over 4 years for PMHCA. This allows program expansion to hospital emergency departments and schools. Forty-nine PMHCA programs received 1-year expansion awards. Three national organizations, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Emergency Medical Services for Children Innovation and Improvement Center (EIIC), and the School-Based Health Alliance, also received 1-year expansion awards to provide technical assistance to PMHCA expansion award recipients.
  • In 2023, the program awarded $19 million to 25 recipients. The awards to the AAP and EIIC also continue for another year.
  • 54 programs now reach 46 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Chickasaw Nation, the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam.

Awardee guidance and resources

Awardee videos

Watch some awardee videos to see how PMHCA programs are carried out across the country.

PMHCA map

see description included on webpage

Have a question about PMHCA?

Contact our project officers

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