Funded Projects

Problem:

Hughes Spalding at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta proposes to develop a partnership between Hughes Spalding, Emory University Department of Pediatrics - Partners for Equity in Adolescent and Child Health (PEACH), Georgia Department of Public Health and the Bright Futures of the American Academy of Pediatrics to expand and integrate the behavioral health Program in the patient centered medical home at Hughes Spalding. The patient population at Hughes Spalding ranges in age from 0 to 21 and the vast majority of the patients are underserved and experience health disparity. Nationwide 13% to 20% children experience a mental health disorder in any given year and suicide is responsible for an average of 11% of deaths in children ages 11 to 17 from 2008 to 2011. Mental health problems in children and youth have been shown to cause adult poverty, continued mental health problems and poorer health. Yet only 20% of children who are identified with mental health problems receive treatment. In Georgia the number of children affected by mental health problems is over 500,000, meaning that there are over 400,000 who are not receiving treatment. Children from low-income, ethnic minority families face even more barriers to receiving the mental health services they need to optimize their future due to the lack of preventative services they receive as well as the lack of funding available to pay for them.

Goals and Objectives:

To help mitigate these issues this partnership proposes an expansion of behavioral health services that will:1. Expand and integrate the behavioral health services within a primary care setting at Hughes Spalding. 2. Develop and expand the partnership dedicated to continuously improving the behavioral health services at Hughes Spalding through a diverse and experienced Advisory Board. 3. Evaluate and improve the behavioral health program at Hughes Spalding 4. Disseminate the results of the Behavioral Health Program to other healthcare providers in the State of Georgia and nationally.

Methodology:

The program will add a mid-level behavioral health provider on staff in the patient centered medical home to provide 1. Onsite Family Consultation at Hughes Spalding; 2. Brief Therapy; 3. Therapy Groups. The partnership will leverage staff and resources to provide a 2 to 1 financial match for this position that will expand other behavioral health services such as 1. Behavioral Health Care Coordination; 2. Integrated daytime Screening in acute and emergency settings; 3. Referrals to psychiatric services; 4. Psychiatric consultation for pediatric patients in a behavioral health crisis.