Child Psychiatric Access Network (CPAN)
CPAN is a network of child psychiatry access centers that will provide child and adolescent behavioral health consultation services and training opportunities for pediatricians and primary care providers.
The Children’s Health℠ and UTSW Regional CPAN hub is a program within Texas that aims to empower primary care physicians and pediatricians by providing real-time educational consultations. This consultation links you with a Children’s Health/UTSW CPAN team member if you have young people in your office with a behavioral or mental health concern.
Why CPAN?
- There is a barrier for behavioral health services due to the shortage of child psychiatrists
- Children are more likely to see a primary care physician or pediatrician when they are experiencing challenges with their behavior
- CPAN takes a peer learning approach in providing care for children and adolescents with behavioral health needs
Benefits of enrolling in CPAN
- CPAN is a free service for primary care physicians and pediatricians
- You can receive psychiatric consultations with a child psychiatrist and mental health professional
- Training opportunities for PCP’s and pediatricians to improve the care of children and adolescents with behavioral health needs
- Facilitated referrals to reliable mental health providers in your community
How to enroll
- Fill out our online enrollment form or call 1-888-901-CPAN
- If calling, press option 1 for North/Northeast region, then option 2 for the Children’s Health/UTSW hub
- An enrollment form will be provided to you to complete or the behavioral health consultant can complete your enrollment over the phone.
- Complete and submit the form or provide your verbal agreement to the behavioral health consultant, and you are officially enrolled!
- You will be sent a welcome kit upon enrollment and can immediately start using the CPAN system.
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What type of assistance can I receive through CPAN?
CPAN offers referrals that are verified. We try to eliminate the possibility of providing a referral that does not help the family, i.e. long waitlist, clinics not accepting new patients, etc. CPAN will assist you in developing a behavioral plan based on information you provide to our behavioral specialist team members. CPAN will also provide a consultation with a behavioral health clinician on non-pharmacological interventions. If appropriate, your PCP team member will receive a psychiatric educational consultation within 30 minutes of your call.
This CPAN child psychiatrist will assist the PCP in a broad array of questions such as:
- What is the diagnosis?
- How can the PCP can assess for a psychiatric concern?
- Which treatments may be indicated?
- How to manage a psychiatric condition using evidence-informed care in a PCP office?
- How to manage psychotropic medications?
- When is the right time to refer to a child psychiatrist?
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How long will it take to get a referral back?
A referral specialist will provide a referral within 24 hours. The referral will be provided directly to the physician or a preferred contact provided by the physician.
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What if the resources I received did not help the family?
Please call your CPAN hub and inform them that further resources are required.
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How long should I expect to wait for the child psychiatrist to contact me?
The timeframe is within 30 minutes. If you have a longer wait time, please contact your hub and notify them of the delay.
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I missed the call back from the psychiatrist, now what?
The psychiatrist will make three call attempts. They will also leave a message or speak to designated personnel (physician assistant, charge nurse, etc.) assigned by you if you cannot be reached.
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What if I am transferred to the wrong hub?
To ensure that you are helped in a timely manner, the hub you are in contact with will help. After the call, the hub will provide the dial in number to your local hub.
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Does CPAN ever talk to the patient/family directly?
No, CPAN only speaks to the physicians or designated personnel assigned by the physicians.
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What patient information am I expected to provide when I call?
We provide a Mental Status Exam (MSE) in the welcome packet as well as a mental health checklist. They both provide a general guideline of what to look for when speaking with a patient regarding behavioral health concerns.
