Inside Pediatrics Fall/Winter 2024

Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC) The PIRC is a phone response center for adults seeking mental health resources for their children or adolescents. Callers can have free, confidential conversations with licensed mental health clinicians who assess a child or teen’s mental, emotional and behavioral needs and recommend the best treatment options, including the contact information of multiple mental health professionals in their community. The PIRC is open seven days a week, year-round, from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for Children’s of Alabama to offer an innovative and much-needed mental health service to those in the community statewide,” PIRC director Cindy Jones, MA, CPC-S, NCC, said. “Our mental health professionals support callers by listening and guiding them to the best next steps for their child.”

Funded by a federal HRSA grant, PATHS is dedicated to increasing primary care providers’ ability to diagnose, treat and manage mild to moderate behavioral health conditions in children and adolescents. It does this through a three-pronged approach that includes education for primary care providers throughout Alabama, along with telehealth consults for providers and telehealth appointments for patients.

“ Those programs all intertwine to create a sort of a framework in which we’re able to meet needs across the spectrum of acuity.

Primary care practices enroll with the program and receive access to the PATHS team, which includes child/ adolescent psychiatrists and psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, licensed clinical social workers and licensed professional counselors. In return, they agree to start behavioral health screenings for well-child visits and report results to PATHS; participate in one hour, bi-weekly educational sessions on pediatric and adolescent mental health issues; and maintain ongoing responsibility for their patients’ behavioral health care and treatment. Providers call PATHS when they have a patient who needs additional assistance. After an initial consult with a social worker, they are directed to the most appropriate team member to help. If the child needs more intensive care, they can interact directly with one of the PATHS specialists from their primary care office via telehealth. “This allows a patient not to have to come to Birmingham to see us,” Yalamanchili said. “It’s a really nice bridge until a local psychiatrist can see them.” Initially founded to help rural practitioners, PATHS now works with providers throughout the state, even those just a few miles away from the hospital. “It’s something that’s a little bit more outside-of-the-box thinking but has proven to be quite successful,” Reeve said. ●

Pediatric Access to Telemental Health Services (PATHS)

Adding to the already challenging circumstances of the mental health crisis is a severe shortage of pediatric psychiatrists and other mental health providers, especially in rural areas. This can lead to long wait times and unaddressed problems. “It can take three to six months to see a therapist or psychiatrist,” child psychiatrist Vinita Yalamanchili, M.D., said. Waiting that long for treatment means kids in crisis are at risk of self-harm. To address these obstacles, Children’s created PATHS. With this program, a patient can get expert care from their primary care provider, often within 24 hours.

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Inside Pediatrics | Children’s of Alabama