Pediatric Mental Health Care Access - The Hawaii Department of Health, Family Health Services Division (FHSD), proposes to expand the state’s Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) program to strengthen and scale statewide initiatives that improve access to behavioral health services for children and families. The expanded PMHCA program will build the capacity of Pediatric Primary Care Providers (PPCPs) by offering behavioral health teleconsultation, care coordination, and training to support screening, diagnosis, and treatment of mild to moderate mental health conditions for youth ages 0–21. This project builds on from the 2021-2026 PMHCA grant period, including statewide pediatric provider training, coordinated outreach, promotion of mental health resources, and implementation of the HI-MPAL warmline. The expansion will broaden support for PPCPs across Hawaii and extend services to U.S.-affiliated Pacific Region partners (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and others). The project focuses on improving early identification, assessment, treatment, and referral pathways, particularly in rural communities, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and medically underserved populations. FHSD is focused on advancing a responsive, sustainable system of mental health services for children aligned with HRSA and Make America Healthy Again priorities. Key activities include: Deploy and manage the PMHCA Team model for Hawaii:The project will oversee implementation of the PMHCA Team model by continuously monitoring and evaluating HI-MPAL operations to ensure strong clinical and care coordination infrastructure for PPCPs. Efforts will include integrating Pacific Region providers through sustained regional partnerships to address severe workforce shortages, and conducting targeted outreach to increase HI-MPAL utilization and improve timely access to pediatric behavioral health consultation and support for children and families. Develop and implement a comprehensive training curriculum for providers and support staff: Training will build on existing offerings, expanding delivery through multiple modalities to increase accessibility for providers region wide. The curriculum will strengthen PPCPs’ capacity in early identification, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and management of behavioral health conditions, ensuring providers gain the knowledge and confidence needed to support youth and their mental health needs. Enhance and streamline the HI-MPAL referral system. Activities include maintaining and updating the statewide mental health resource directory, developing a clear and efficient HI-MPAL referral workflow, and strengthening the data system to monitor the timeliness and outcomes of referrals. The project will utilize comprehensive mental health resources to better support providers addressing behavioral health needs from early childhood through young adulthood. Evaluate program and provide continuous quality improvement Evaluation activities will identify gaps, strengthen provider experience, and ensure the system evolves to remain responsive, accessible, and effective. Data and reports will be compiled to demonstrate the impact of pmhca activities. Set measurable optimal health goals through an action plan. The project will establish and monitor measurable goals to expand access to behavioral health services statewide. Collaboration with system-building partners will reinforce region wide alignment and advance equitable access to pediatric behavioral health care. Leverage and advocate for funding to ensure long-term sustainability Sustainability activities include disseminating findings to partners such as state agencies, legislators, health plans, philanthropic and community partners and working to advance a sustainability strategy that supports ongoing implementation and financial viability of the PMHCA model.
