Access Mental Health
Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) is one of three ACCESS Mental Health CT hubs in Connecticut, along with Wheeler Clinic and Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital.
ACCESS Mental Health is a state-funded program created to ensure that all youth up to 22 years of age—with or without insurance—have access to psychiatric and behavioral health services through their pediatric primary care provider (PCP).
The program is designed to provide education, support, advice, and access to local resources. Consultations through this program increase PCP comfort level in identifying the behavioral health needs of their patients. Program professionals assist PCPs in gaining the expertise required to more effectively provide basic treatment for disorders and to expand awareness of local resources.
Services
- Psychiatric telephone consultation to pediatric PCPs, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Phone consultations for diagnostic clarification, psychopharmacology recommendations, counseling recommendations, and care coordination
- Behavioral health training and education to PCPs, including teleconferences and mental health tools
- One-time, face-to-face pediatric evaluations with recommendations and bridging mental health services
- Assistance with connecting families to community behavioral health services
- Information and education to help PCPs engage more confidently with families and youth around questions related to gender
Eligibility Criteria
PCPs and family physicians in Yale’s hub catchment area (shoreline from Greenwich to Madison) who serve children and youth ages 3-22 (and their families) are eligible to participate, regardless of insurance coverage. Families are not billed for consultation or face-to-face evaluations.
