Partnerships with Primary Care for the Treatment of Preschoolers

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Healthcare Access
• Telemedicine

Background:

• Preschool children face significant barriers to accessing mental health services.
• Primary care physicians (PCPs) are often the first point of contact for these issues.
• Existing services may be geographically inaccessible to many families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review mental health access issues for preschool children.
• To present data from the Michigan Child Collaborative Care Program (MC3).
• To evaluate the effectiveness of collaborative care models in improving access.

Main Methods:

• Review of mental health access challenges in preschool populations.
• Analysis of data collected through the Michigan Child Collaborative Care Program (MC3).
• Description of telephonic and video telepsychiatric consultation services offered by MC3.

Main Results:

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and disruptive behavioral disorders are common initial diagnoses.
• Autism spectrum disorders, relational issues, trauma, and PTSD are also important considerations.
• The MC3 program demonstrates the potential of collaborative care to bridge service gaps.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative care programs effectively enhance access to child psychiatric services.
• Telepsychiatry is a viable solution for overcoming geographical barriers to care.
• Addressing a range of mental health conditions in preschoolers is crucial for early intervention.