The Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) has contracted with Children’s of Alabama to implement a new program known as PATHS – Pediatric Access to Telemental Health Services through a HRSA grant aimed to improve access to behavioral health care in primary care settings. The goals of the PATHS program are to increase access to behavioral health care, make early diagnosis possible and improve outcomes for pediatric behavioral health patients in rural areas of Alabama.
The PATHS program will:
- Provide education to pediatricians regarding how to better diagnose and treat behavioral health conditions.
- Facilitate specialty consultation services for pediatricians in rural communities who have patients with behavioral health needs.
- Provide limited direct care services via telemedicine to patients in primary care settings who need a higher level of behavioral health care.
PATHS will begin with a small group of pediatricians in July/August 2019. The program will expand statewide over the next five years.
For more information about PATHS, please contact Susan Griffin, Project Director, at Susan.Griffin@childrensal.org or call 205-638-5673.
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