Substance Use Services at Child Psychiatry Access Programs

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Behavioral Health Services
• Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Background:

• Child psychiatry access programs (CPAPs) are crucial for extending behavioral health consultation to pediatric primary care.
• Expanding youth access to substance use care is a significant public health challenge.
• Existing CPAP resources for adolescent substance use are not well-characterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the availability and scope of substance use resources provided by CPAPs.
• To compare substance use resources with those available for depression within CPAPs.
• To identify gaps in CPAP support for pediatric primary care providers managing adolescent substance use.

Main Methods:

• A systematic assessment of 58 US and Canadian CPAP websites was conducted in 2025.
• Resources for substance use (screening tools, educational materials, clinical pathways) were cataloged.
• The prevalence of substance use resources was compared to depression resources using statistical tests.

Main Results:

• 58.6% of CPAPs offered substance use resources, with only 22.4% providing clinical pathways.
• In comparison, 74.1% offered depression resources, and 44.8% included depression clinical pathways.
• Significant differences were observed in the availability of resources and clinical pathways for substance use versus depression (p < .003).

Conclusions:

• While over half of CPAPs provide some substance use resources, the guidance is often limited, focusing more on screening than treatment.
• CPAP resources for adolescent substance use are less comprehensive than those for depression.
• There is a clear need to enhance CPAP support for primary care providers in managing adolescent substance use disorders.