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Project Name: Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program (U4C)
Applicant Title: STATE OF ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
Abstract Text: Project Abstract Project Title: Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program (PMHCA) Recipient Name: Alaska Dept. of Health, Division of Public Health, Section of Women’s, Children's, and Family Health (WCFH) Mailing Address: 3601 C Street, Suite 322, Anchorage, AK 99503-5923 Project Director/Program Manager: Joanne Singleton Contact Information: xxx-xxx-xxxx Email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxx.xxx Website: http://www.hss.state.ak.us/dph/wcfh/ Funding: $700,000 per year Annotation: The Partnership Access Line – Pediatric Alaska (PAL-PAK) offers Alaska-based pediatric care providers working in primary care, behavioral health care, and integrated health care settings immediate access to psychiatric behavioral health consultation and whole-person resource navigation for children and adolescents. Alaska providers can receive guidance on diagnostic clarification, medication adjustment, treatment planning, and referral options. Non-prescribing healthcare providers can receive whole-person resource navigation services, and all providers can receive information about screenings, referrals, and linkages to care trainings. PAL for Schools offers professional development, networking, and clinical trainings aimed at improving skills, knowledge, and support for Alaska school-based providers, especially those working in rural areas. Goals and Objectives: The goal is to increase routine diagnosis, treatment, and referral of child and adolescent behavioral health conditions in primary care including by reducing disparities in access to behavioral health care, especially in rural and other underserved areas. Objectives are: 1. By the end of Year 3, 25-50% increase of unduplicated pediatric primary care practitioners who request pediatric mental health consultations regarding their patients. Baseline is 20% of unduplicated pediatric primary care practitioners. 2. By the end of year 3, increase the number of behavioral health cases seeking care coordination services as a result of HMG-AK outreach and SCH consultations. 3. By the end of Year 3, the HMG-AK resource and referral database, including telehealth providers, will increase by at least 50% the number of included mental health and support service providers statewide for children and youth ages 0-26. 4. Provide 5-6 trainings via webinar for school districts across the State 5. Collaborate with key stakeholders on sustainability for PAL PAK after this 3 year grant. Methodology: Based out of Seattle Children’s Hospital, The Partnership Access Line (PAL) offers mental health teleconsultations on weekdays from 7 a.m.- 4 p.m. Alaska time to any primary care provider, as well as to other prescriber-level providers such as emergency room physicians and hospitalists providing care to children. The PAL team consists of eight licensed pediatric psychiatrists based in the state of Washington, who are licensed to practice in Alaska. This allows them to provide case consultation/team conference services. In-state expertise regarding other Alaska-based mental health, health related social needs and other supports, as well as cultural and language considerations, is provided by HMG-AK, a program of the All Alaska Pediatric Partnership (AAPP). While PAL for Schools targets school-based providers and aims to increase service capacity and support for school counselors and school nurses working with children and youth with behavioral health needs in the school setting. The current focus is students in grades K-12. During year 2 of the grant, exploration of ways to align the school services with other behavioral health initiatives will occur, to improve the continuum of behavioral health care for infants, children, youth, and their families in Alaska.