21.3 BECOMING CHAMPIONS FOR CHILD MENTAL HEALTH ACCESS: LESSONS FROM IMPLEMENTING A CHILD PSYCHIATRY ACCESS PROGRAM IN MISSISSIPPI

Abstract

A rural state with many healthcare disparities, Mississippi experiences a lack of child and adolescent psychiatry workforce availability. To extend available capacity to meet significant needs, Mississippi’s Child Psychiatry Access Program (CPAP), known as the Child Access to Mental Health and Psychiatry program (CHAMP), was formed in 2018 to provide telepsychiatry consultation services to underserved areas in the state’s Delta region along the Mississippi River. CHAMP has since expanded statewide in response to increased need for services created by the COVID-19 pandemic.