21.1 ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH CONNECTICUT: FAMILY-CENTERED PEDIATRIC MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATIONS

Abstract

The objective of this presentation is to review the family-centered, well-being-focused nature of the ACCESS (Access to all of Connecticut’s Children of Every Socioeconomic Status) Mental Health program and its contributions to improving mental health treatment for children in the state of Connecticut. ACCESS Mental Health Connecticut is a state-funded initiative created as a line item in the Department of Children and Families’ budget as a component of the gun-control legislation passed in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting. Initiated in June 2014 and modeled after the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Project (MCPAP), the Connecticut model includes 3 Hubs to support mental health education and the well-being of pediatric primary care providers, and to support families regardless of insurance status. The model incorporates a team of child and adolescent psychiatrists, licensed social work clinicians, a program coordinator, and, uniquely, a peer specialist. The peer specialist is a parent with a child with mental health challenges who can support pediatric patients’ parents emotionally and practically as they attempt to process and navigate the mental health landscape. Since its inception in June 2014, the ACCESS Mental Health Hubs have provided over 36,700 consultations supporting over 7000 youth and their families. During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACCESS Mental Health Teams initiated weekly well-being support Zoom meetings for the state’s pediatric primary care physicians (PPCPs). Now monthly, the Zoom “Clinical Conversations with ACCESS Mental Health” provides mental health education to address the PPCP’s unique needs. Hub child and adolescent psychiatrists also participate in Project ECHO (Extension of Community Healthcare Outcomes), AAP Connecticut webinars, grand rounds, and other venues. PPCP mental health education and early access to mental healthcare promises to identify, support, and treat children and families experiencing mental health challenges that have previously been unable to access services. The trusting personal relationships between the Hub teams and the PPCPs is a cherished component of the ACCESS Mental Health program service.