The Five S's: A Communication Tool for Child Psychiatric Access Projects

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Pediatric Primary Care
• Behavioral Health Integration

Background:

• Increasing demand for pediatric behavioral health services strains existing child psychiatric services.
• Primary care clinicians (PCCs) are often the first point of contact but lack adequate training.
• Child psychiatric access projects (CPAPs) aim to integrate care but face communication barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and describe the Five S's framework.
• To enhance communication and collaboration between PCCs and child psychiatrists.
• To facilitate effective pediatric behavioral health case consultation and referrals.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Five S's framework by the Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care (BHIPP) project.
• Description of each component: Safety, Specific Behaviors, Setting, Scary Things, and Screening/Services.
• Presentation of two case studies illustrating the framework's application.

Main Results:

• The Five S's framework provides a structured approach for case formulation.
• Effective communication is facilitated between PCCs and child psychiatrists.
• The tool aids in consultation requests and referral processes for pediatric behavioral health.

Conclusions:

• The Five S's framework is a valuable tool for improving communication in pediatric behavioral health consultations.
• It supports collaborative care models between primary care and specialty mental health services.
• The framework's utility extends beyond behavioral health consultations.