Florida Pediatric Behavioral Health Collaborative - Florida Pediatric Behavioral Health Collaborative The Florida Pediatric Behavioral Health Collaborative increases child/adolescent access to behavioral/mental health services by integrating these services into pediatric primary care. This project transforms the knowledge, skills, and ability of providers to better screen, identify, treat, and refer children with behavioral/mental health needs. It addresses critical geographic gaps in care through skills training and the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) in target counties. With six existing CoCMs, known as behavioral health hubs (BH-HUBS), we propose to add two BH-HUBS to serve in Palm Beach and Duval counties, and their surrounding catchment. Palm Beach has 281,000 children. Population estimates indicate 50,000 have a mental health (MH) condition, and 28,200 a Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED). The school district’s minority enrollment is 70%, and 47% are poor. Palm Beach has 315 pediatricians, and a severe shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAPs). Duval has 225,343 children. With 273 pediatricians to serve the area, and a severe shortage of CAPs, for 52,000 children with a MH diagnosis, and 30,000 with an SED. Duval’s school district’s minority enrollment is 70%, and 40% are poor. Alarming is Duval’s Health Zone One data with the highest minority percentage >83%, lowest incomes, highest population density, highest rates of ER visits with intentional injuries, and highest suicides. Strategies: BH-HUBS partner with pediatric primary care providers (PCPs) to conduct program readiness reviews and provide evidence-based skill-building training to PCPs to augment their ability to screen, identify, treat, and refer children with mental health (MH) needs. The BH-HUBSs provide access to care coordination, case consultation with CAPs, and utilize patient registries to document status and outcomes. Quality improvement activities are facilitated through a learning action network, utilizing small tests of change with the plan, do, study, act to then scale up accordingly. Fiscal sustainability is being explored through partnerships with Medicaid and its Managed Medical Assistance plans and the Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) BH accreditation model. Project Goals include: 1) Augment PCPs ability to provide integrative BH services through skills training and the CoCM. 2) Improve outcomes in child and adolescent psychosocial functioning, through the provision of integrated BH in the pediatric primary care setting. 3) Address sustainability of integrated BH services in the primary care setting, including adequate reimbursement and payment methodologies. Objectives: By September 2028, 90% of participating PCPs will report advanced skill in providing integrated BH services; 100% of children/adolescents served will be screened with a validated MH or substance use screening tool; 90% of children/adolescents that screen positive for a MH concern receive referral services; 75% of children/adolescents that screen positive for a MH concern receive treatment from PCP or MH provider. Unduplicated Children and Adolescents to be Served: Year 1: 1,000; Year 2: 1,200; Year 3: 1,440; Year 4: 1,728; Year 5: 2,074; Total: 7,442
