Pediatric Mental Health Care Access - Minnesota’s children and youth face significant mental and behavioral health needs, while many communities lack timely access to child and adolescent behavioral health specialists. These gaps are especially pronounced in rural communities and mental health professional shortage areas. Pediatric providers are often the first and sometimes only point of contact for children and families seeking help, but many need additional support to assess, treat, refer, and follow up with patients experiencing behavioral health concerns. Through its current Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) initiative, which ends in September 2026, Minnesota has built much of the infrastructure needed for a stronger statewide pediatric mental health care access program. This work has strengthened psychiatric consultation, provider education and training, resource and referral supports, outreach, and data systems. Although each component has added important capacity, they have not yet operated as one coordinated program. Awareness and use remain uneven, particularly among providers serving rural communities and other areas with limited access to behavioral health specialists. Minnesota proposes to build on this foundation by creating a more connected and accessible statewide PMHCA program. A streamlined enrollment and engagement system will serve as a central point of connection for participating providers, support ongoing communication, and help the program better understand who it is reaching. Providers will be connected to three core components: provider consultation and care coordination through the Psychiatric Assistance Line (PAL); provider education and training; and resource and referral support. PAL, operated by PrairieCare, will continue to provide timely provider-to-provider psychiatric consultation and care coordination support. Education and training will use the Project ECHO® model to provide ongoing, case-based learning and peer exchange that build provider knowledge, confidence, and capacity to address behavioral health needs within pediatric care settings. Resource and referral support will help providers identify appropriate services, navigate referral pathways, and connect children and families with behavioral health and community resources. The project will also include focused outreach and partnership development to increase participation among providers serving rural communities, mental health professional shortage areas, and other high-need populations. Improved data collection, performance monitoring, and continuous quality improvement will help Minnesota assess program reach, identify service gaps, and adapt services over time. The program will serve pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, school-based health providers, and other professionals who care for children and youth. The ultimate beneficiaries are Minnesota children and youth with mental and behavioral health needs, including those with co-occurring developmental and behavioral health concerns, and their families. By connecting existing infrastructure into one coordinated statewide program, Minnesota will expand access to timely consultation, care coordination, education, and referral support; strengthen pediatric provider capacity; and help more children, youth, and families receive appropriate care closer to home.
