Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program
Grant Status: Completed
Training Category: Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program (PMHCA)
Project Director(s):
Leah Ludlum
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
1 West Wilson, Room 233
P.O. Box 7850
Madison, WI 53707-7850
Phone: (608) 267-6716
Email: leah.ludlum@wisconsin.gov
Problem:
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) current Child Psychiatry Consultation Program (CPCP) is not a statewide program. State funding was appropriated but remains insufficient to implement the program in all five DHS regions (72 counties).
Goals and Objectives:
Due to the critical shortage of child psychiatrists in Wisconsin, expansion of the current CPCP provides an opportunity to build capacity with front-line providers in an area not currently being served. CPCP expansion will provide critical resources to rural and medically underserved communities in southwest Wisconsin, where access to mental health care is very limited. CPCP will continue to be implemented by the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine in the northern, southeast and northeastern DHS regions as well as Milwaukee County with new expansion to the southwest area of Wisconsin.
Methodology:
The CPCP is a resource for primary care providers (PCPs) caring for children and adolescents struggling with behavioral health disorders such as, depression, anxiety, attention deficient and substance use disorders. The CPCP provides an opportunity to increase PCPs' capacity to support the behavioral health needs of Wisconsin children and families through: 1) Rapid consultation with a team including a Child Adolescent Psychiatrist regarding diagnosis and management options for children and adolescents; 2) A referral support system for children and adolescents to other mental health professionals and community resources; 3) Education and training in behavioral health issues.
Coordination:
The current CPCP infrastructure is in place thus, implementation is replicable and will be used to create a southwestern hub. Continued coordination and collaboration with existing and new partners is necessary for spread; working toward building a statewide system of care for Wisconsin children and adolescents struggling with behavioral health needs.
Evaluation:
The current CPCP has demonstrated success in building the infrastructure and providing consultation services to approximately 500 enrolled PCPs located in the current service area. Since program inception (December 2014), PCPs' confidence and ability to meet the mental health needs of children being served improved after using the CPCP. PCPs were satisfied with the service and use the information learned to apply it to other patients in their practice. CPCP outcomes will continue to be collected, evaluated and reported in order to track program progress and to ensure goals are achieved. Yearly brief reports will be prepared including new data from the southwest hub and shared with statewide constituents.