The VHAN Behavioral Health Team has been busier than ever since the pandemic took hold in late March. With a critical shortage of behavioral health providers across the state conflicting with an increasing need for behavioral health services, the team’s consult line has been even higher in demand. Licensed Social Workers Vanessa Howe and Danielle McDonough provide consulting services along with several Vanderbilt Child/Adolescent Psychiatrists. The consult line is available to all VHAN primary care providers who see pediatric patients in their practice.
When providers call the Pediatric Behavioral Health Consult Line, Howe and McDonough help assess the patient’s needs, assist with level of care determinations, and provide clinical care navigation services to patients and families in need. Psychiatrists are also available to speak with the primary care provider about medication recommendations for their patients.
“One of the most successful uses of our line is to prevent patients from being sent to the emergency department unnecessarily,” Howe says. Many of the patients they receive consults on don’t necessarily need to be sent to the emergency department; instead, they would benefit from gaining access to behavioral health services in a timely manner before their symptoms worsen.
“Between the pediatrician, social worker and psychiatrist, we can make sure patients get plugged into services quickly, have a safety plan in place and receive the appropriate level of care without using the emergency department,” Howe continues. “We’ve seen this partnership between behavioral health and primary care help reduce costs, improve the patient and family experience, and increase access to timely services.”
Patient Support & Provider Connections
Howe and McDonough also provide follow-up phone calls to pediatric patients who are assessed at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital Emergency Department for a behavioral health crisis and ultimately discharged to a lower level of care. These follow-up services are provided to all patients who have a VHAN primary care provider. The VHAN Social Workers follow-up directly with patients and families to connect them to appropriate services as quickly as possible in effort to avoid another hospital visit.
“We route our follow-up note to the VHAN pediatrician to inform them of their patient’s recent emergency department visit and recommended behavioral health services,” Howe adds. “We also provide the consult line contact information and encourage primary care providers to call if they need any additional assistance with their patient’s behavioral health care at their next visit. This allows us to have a safety net in place to reduce the number of children whose care could potentially fall through the cracks.”
At the 2020 National Association of Social Workers conference, held virtually in June, the VHAN Behavioral Health team showcased their work on the Pediatric Behavioral Consult Line, which has fielded more than 700 phone calls since its redesign in 2018. The group also highlighted systemic issues in the behavioral health field that prevent people from getting the help they need. Terri Brady, Vanessa Howe, and Anne O’Halloran presented a session on how collaboration between primary care and behavioral health providers can improve access to mental health care.
Educational Outreach
In addition to providing consultations, the VHAN Behavioral Health team has prioritized educational opportunities for VHAN pediatric primary care practices with a new webinar series that kicked off earlier this year. The team surveyed the network and used trends from the consult line and input from the Pediatric Clinical Advisory Committee (PCAC) to choose topics of interest to network members. So far, the series has provided education on the following topics:
• Suicide Prevention and Helping Families Reduce Access to Lethal Means
• Best Practices on Outcome Measures for Pediatric Depression
• Best Practices in Screening and Care Coordination for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Routine Depression Screens
Another priority this year is helping VHAN pediatric primary care practices implement routine depression screens for children 12 and older at well child visits. The VHAN team is currently providing monthly reports to practices of eligible patients who came in for a visit but weren’t screened for depression. Depending on a practice’s needs, VHAN can also answer coding questions related to depression screens, advise on best practices in depression screen workflows, and provide other resources.
“The Behavioral Health team has had such a significant impact on our practices,” says Terri Brady, Network Operations Director at VHAN. “It has strengthened these practices’ ties to VHAN and increased their appreciation for the value we provide.”“The Behavioral Health team has had such a significant impact on our practices,” says Terri Brady, Network Operations Director at VHAN. “It has strengthened their ties to VHAN and increased their appreciation for the value we provide.”
Learn more about VHAN’s Behavioral Health program here.