CoPPCAP, Colorado Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation & Access Program, is a Child Psychiatry Access Program (CPAP) developed to assist Colorado pediatric primary care providers assess and provide treatment for pediatric behavioral/mental health conditions presenting in the primary care setting.

 

The first CPAP was initiated in 2004 in Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (www.MCPAP.org) to address the unmet mental health needs of youth in Massachusetts. MCPAP’s model was developed to provide real time peer telephone consultation around youth mental health concerns, identification of community resources, brief face-to-face consultation of patients to guide care and co-manage, along with an educational platform to support primary care providers. CPAPs is some version are now operating in roughly 35 states.

 

CoPPCAP enrolled its first practices in September 2019 after receiving funding from HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) supporting development of statewide CPAPs and a state grant to support further development. CoPPCAP is partnering with CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health) Title 5 division to ensure statewide stakeholders have input towards development of a statewide program. CoPPCAP has an Advisory Committee to give further guidance and meets in person on a quarterly basis.

 

CoPPCAP serves the pediatric primary care community by providing peer consultation within 45 minutes of request, Monday – Friday, 9 AM to 4:30 PM, through telephone, email, and e-consultation services, helping community providers find and access local mental health resources, and giving education pertinent to the primary care provider around mental and behavioral health concerns. In addition, CoPPCAP will provide a 1x only face-to-face consultation, in person or through telehealth, to support the primary care provider’s care of the patient for diagnostic assessment or further treatment recommendations. CoPPCAP does not provide crisis assessments or ongoing patient care.

 

If interested, please call 1-888-910-0153 or email info@coppcap.org.

 

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,851,222.00 with zero percentage financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government

• Improve access to child mental health care by establishing a statewide teleconsultation service

• Serve as a central source of training and information about pediatric mental health care to pediatric primary care providers

• Provide in-person or telehealth patient consultation to guide care

• Support identification of local resources

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• Ultimately: decrease death by suicide, increase early identification and treatment of disruptive behavior disorders, anxiety disorders, and depression presenting in childhood

CoPPCAP's vision emphasizes the significant role pediatric primary care providers have in making mental health care accessible for all the youth of Colorado. CoPPCAP aims to support Colorado's pediatric primary care practices in providing high quality mental health care within their clinics by offering direct support with:

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• Conducting universal mental health screening in the context of well-child care

• Increasing understanding of and comfort with most common psychiatric diagnoses, strategies for assessment, and treatment appropriate for the primary care setting

• Gaining confidence in your expertise including recognizing the limits of your knowledge

• Becoming familiar with the wide variety of community-based private and public behavioral health resources and how to make effective referrals

• Helping you become more effective advocates for the behavioral health needs of your patients

• Coordinating care for patients receiving behavioral health services in the community

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CoPPCAP values the opportunity to learn from each of you, to utilize your expertise to then help others enrolled in the CoPPCAP community.

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