Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program

PMHCA Year Three Quality Improvement (QI) Collaborative

We are excited to announce that we will continue our work for a third year! Learn more Thursday, Nov. 14, from 2-3pm CT. Register today.

About EIIC's work with PMHCA

In September 2022, the EMSC Innovation and Improvement Center (EIIC) received supplemental funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to collaborate with HRSA Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) programs across the country.

This PMHCA expansion award will allow EIIC to cultivate relationships between the nation’s emergency departments (EDs) and PMHCA awardees through the development of a Technical Assistance toolkit for both primary care and ED clinicians. PMHCA awardees were selected based on participation criteria developed by the EIIC and include Michigan, Washington, Delaware, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

To develop the Technical Assistance, PMHCA teams are being taken through guided focus group discussions to identify their current state as well as tools needed to assist PMHCAs interested in expanding into the ED space. They are also participating in the ED STOP Suicide Quality Improvement Collaborative. The program will continue until the end of 2024.

To see the work accomplished, see here.

ED Mental Health Current Strategy



Referrals to the ED	Access to Mental Health Resources 24/7	Real-time Health Assessments	Disposition from the ED
Child presents to the ED after being referred by outside sources (family doctor, school, etc.).	Hospital provides all available onsite resources to the child.	Health and safety plans are discussed and decided upon.	Child is referred to a mental health facility or released to their family with a follow-up plan in place.