Caring for the Mental Health of Our Children: Utilizing Telepsychiatry in Pediatric Clinics to Improve Access to Care and Promote Well-Being

For a young person with symptoms of a mental disorder, early treatment can help prevent persistent and more severe problems later in life. East Carolina University proposes expansion of its North Carolina Statewide Telepsychiatry Program (NC-STeP) to serve children and adolescents in six community-based pediatric/primary care clinics using a collaborative care approach. Using these clinics as the host sites removes the stigma associated with mental health, enhances compliance with appointments, and offers expert consultation support for busy and often overwhelmed pediatric and primary care clinicians. ECU proposes to embed a licensed behavioral health provider (BPH) into each pediatric or primary care setting--the unique aspect of this project. The BPH is linked via telepsychiatry to a clinical psychiatrist for case consultation and care planning. The psychiatrist also is available to the pediatrician or primary care provider for diagnostic and treatment recommendations. Additionally, we will utilize our telehealth sites for interprofessional training of clinical social work students, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, medical family therapy interns, and school counselors. Using virtual reality, we will create "NC Rural Kids Get Well," a 3-D community on the Roblox platform to serve three main purposes: education, peer support, and surveillance.

Scholars @ ECU