Funded Projects

Problem:

North Carolina is a large state with predominantly rural areas where mental health access is a challenge, especially for children.

Goals and Objectives:

The purpose of the North Carolina Telehealth Partnership for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Access (NCTP-CAPA) program is to support pediatric primary care providers with the timely identification, diagnosis, management, treatment, and referral as appropriate of children with behavioral health concerns and conditions, with an emphasis on rural and underserved areas of the state. The four key objectives of the NCTP-CAPA are 1) Develop a multidisciplinary statewide network capable of providing mental health and telehealth support to pediatric primary care sites; 2) Enable pediatric primary care sites in every NC county access to timely and relevant mental health consultation; 3) Enable pediatric primary care providers in every NC county access to specialty care, community and/or behavioral health resources; and 4) Enable pediatric primary care sites in every NC county access to timely and relevant mental health education and training.

Methodology:

NCTP-CAPA program will incrementally expand statewide an existing regional child and adolescent psychiatry telephone consultation program, North Carolina Pediatric Access Line (NC-PAL), operated by Duke University's School of Medicine in partnership with Cardinal Innovations, one of the regional mental health managed care organizations led by the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services (DMH/DD/SAS). The program will provide referral coordination, provider education and increasing linkages to direct patient care for existing mental health services as well as through telemedicine, while utilizing partnerships and linking efforts with the existing statewide Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC) provider outreach, education, and behavioral health coordination support and technical assistance.

Coordination:

The NCDHHS, Division of Public Health, Women's and Children's Health Section (WCHS) is the state Title V agency and is the applicant agency for this funding opportunity announcement. WCHS with its key partners, Duke University School of Medicine, CCNC, DMH/DD/SAS and the Office of Rural Health, will work collaboratively with other partners such as professional societies, academic institutions, and advocacy organizations, leveraging existing resources and promoting alignment with other statewide activities.

Evaluation:

The goal of the evaluation is to measure progress of 1) process measures related to consultation and training activities; 2) provider response to consultation or training activities including outcome of consultation, satisfaction with consultation, and change in attitude or self-efficacy; 3) provider practice change, including changes in screening rates for certain conditions and prescribing patterns; and 4) mental health care process and treatment outcomes for children and adolescents in North Carolina, with a particular focus on rural areas of the state.