A new pilot program at Boston-based Massachusetts General for Children aims to alleviate barriers to mental health access for parents and children, WCVB reported Feb. 23.
The program pairs mental health clinicians with pediatricians at the hospital's primary care practices, the report said. The aim is to provide access to mental health services as part of every day care.
"Children were really struggling with mental health concerns, and we were lacking a good way to hook them into care," Kathryn Brigham, MD, a pediatrician in the program, told WCVB. "Having psychologists work literally elbow-to-elbow with pediatricians in the same clinic...that way, when a concern is identified, we can meet it in the moment."
Integrated models like the Massachusetts General for Children program have been shown to improve outcomes for children with mental health struggles, Dr. Brigham said.