Comparing Initial Calls to Follow-up Calls Made to a Child Psychiatry Access Program

Children with mental health conditions frequently experience difficulty or delays in obtaining mental health care; as a result, less than half receive treatment. 1 , 2 , 3 Child psychiatry access programs (CPAPs; i.e., pediatric mental health care access programs) were designed to address mental health workforce shortages by providing support to primary care providers (PCPs) in managing pediatric mental health concerns. 4 , 5 , 6 First developed in Massachusetts, 5 the CPAP model has since been adopted and adapted in nearly all US states. CPAPs typically deliver support to PCPs in the form of phone- or web-based consultation with a child and adolescent psychiatrist who can provide general education on psychiatric conditions and offer guidance on clinical management, care coordination, and referral support. 4 In doing so, CPAPs work to enable PCPs to assume responsibility for the clinical management of pediatric mental health conditions in place of a psychiatrist, or at least until a psychiatric appointment can be obtained, bridging gaps in access to mental health care. For example, enabling PCPs to manage the care of patients with complex conditions (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) and co-occurring disorders may expedite access to treatments for patients who may otherwise endure lengthy wait times for a mental health appointment or not receive care at all. 4 , 7 , 8