Partnering with pediatric primary care: Lessons learned through collaborative colocation

“Not accepting new patients,” is a phrase too frequently heard by frantic parents in search of behavioral health treatment for their children. There are simply not enough services available to meet the need. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has endorsed primary care physicians (PCPs) as critical to ameliorating this state of affairs by promoting skill development for their membership to prevent, assess, and treat children's mental health issues. Health care reform initiatives are calling for the establishment of patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) where the physician is responsible for ensuring comprehensive and well-coordinated care that includes mental health. These movements offer opportunities for psychologists to collaborate with PCPs, capitalizing on psychologists' specialized expertise. While there has been increasing discussion of collaborative health care models, much of this work is focused on the treatment of adults. This article draws on the authors' experiences developing a pediatric behavioral health and primary care colocation program in Connecticut and the lessons learned from more than a decade of partnering. The overarching lesson is that psychologists can facilitate practice transformation in pediatric primary care to improve early mental health detection, intervention, and referral. This article highlights knowledge, skill sets, and considerations for psychologists wishing to establish effective partnerships with pediatric primary care to improve behavioral health service delivery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)