By Dr. Alyssa Whitford and William Whitford
Treating both physical and mental health is vital, perhaps especially with children and young adults. Families seeking mental health support for their children, however, may run into challenges in the traditional healthcare system.
Long wait times and insurance barriers can mean that young patients may not always have ready access to the care they need. Luckily, U-M Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital has created a program to partner pediatric residents and psychiatrists in supporting youth mental health: the Pediatric Psychiatry Colocalized Consult Clinic (P2C3).
Their efforts and results were recently published in the Psychiatric Services Journal. To learn more about this innovative program, we spoke to lead author Margeaux Naughton, M.D., pediatrician at Mott Children’s Hospital.
The History of P2C3
Over ten years ago, two U-M doctors, Doctors Hua and Burrows, walked into the pediatric section of the UM Health System and noticed a problem: the wait for child and adolescent psychiatric evaluations were incredibly long, meaning that kids who needed help often weren’t getting it. They decided to take a trailblazing step toward a solution by founding the Pediatric Psychiatry Colocalized Consult Clinic. And what a difference they made. The clinic has provided much needed help for pediatric mental health patients, and has allowed the UM pediatric patients much more access to advanced psychiatric care and training.
What is P2C3?
The Pediatric Psychiatry Colocalized Consult Clinic has a powerful purpose: to better provide timely care for children and young adults navigating less complex psychiatric disorders.
For young patients experiencing depression, anxiety, or ADHD, waiting for treatment from a psychiatrist can be a significant barrier to seeking mental health support. However, many general pediatricians may not feel comfortable providing psychiatric care.
To address this concern, founders of P2C3 brainstormed a brand new approach by having pediatric residents partner with psychiatrists to see patients together. The clinic is unique in its format: partnering pediatric residents with child and adolescent psychiatrists is a novel approach.
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According to the Michigan Health Lab website, this allows pediatricians to “learn mental health care through direct, supervised practice.” Patients receive consultation and beginning management of their mental health concerns in the clinic before following up with their primary healthcare provider for continued support. This helped pediatric residents become more comfortable treating the mental health of their young patients.
Impact of P2C3
But how effective is the clinic? To measure the impact of P2C3, Dr. Naughton and her team conducted a study that was recently published in the Psychiatric Services Journal. Their findings show that the Pediatric Psychiatry Colocalized Consult Clinic not only increased the pediatric physicians’ comfort and confidence in treating mental health, forming the clinic has allowed Mott’s team to complete over 1,500 care sessions and treat more than 400 patients. According Naughton, these results show huge benefit to both doctors and patients.
Naughten stated, “families value knowing their child’s mental health care is connected to their primary care team. This model reduces fragmentation and provides both timely access for patients and lasting skill-building for physicians.”
For families and youth experiencing more confident and capable care, shorter wait times, and fewer barriers to comprehensive care, the innovation behind Mott’s Pediatric Psychiatry Colocalized Consult Clinic feels like a powerful and important step forward in caring for young patients.
Author: William Whitford is an aspiring writer with a passion for the medical field. Dr. Alyssa Whitford is a former K-12 teacher and professor of education, and a current instructional coach for Lansing School District. She is passionate about literacy, social studies, and all things education.
