Information for Providers
The Vermont Child Psychiatry Access Program offers consultative services for Vermont Primary Care Providers who have questions about diagnosis and treatment planning for children and adolescents ages 21 and under.
The goal of this service is to help primary care providers appropriately care for children and adolescents as quickly and comprehensively as possible.
We are available to answer calls between 9:00am – 3:00pm daily for registered practices. The registration form is available here and can be emailed to vtcpap@vtcpap.com.
The PCP initiates this direct consultation by calling the VTCPAP line at (802) 488-5342. When open, the call will be returned within 30 minutes, or the PCP can schedule a time for a call back.
Most calls will be a direct conversation between the PCP and the Liaison Coordinator and/or the Child Psychiatrist. This may result in recommendations for appropriate screening, treatment, or referral resources, all of which promote a trauma-informed approach to care. Please find the workflow chart here.
Please do not have patients contact this service directly, this is a service to directly support PCP decision making.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can families call VTCPAP?
No. This is a consult service to support primary care providers (PCPs) as they manage the care of their patients.
Do I need to get my patient’s consent before calling?
No, you do not need patient authorization or consent to call. This is due to the following:
- No bill or payment is collected, therefore, no financial consent is needed.
- Provider-to-provider consultation is covered within the boundaries of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Is it appropriate to call when my patient is in crisis?
If your patient is currently in crisis, call 911. If your patient is not in imminent danger, our VTCPAP consultants are available to discuss best practices for treatment and support.
Can the VTCPAP help get my patient get admitted to a higher level of care?
VTCPAP cannot expedite or change the admitting process for higher levels of care.
What if I call when VTCPAP is not open?
Your request will be reviewed the next morning that we are open, at which point we will be in touch to answer the query.
For which holidays will VTCPAP be closed?
VTCPAP will be closed the following days in 2023:
- New Year’s Day
- MLK Day
- President’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Indigenous People’s Day
- Veterans’ Day
- Thanksgiving
- Friday following Thanksgiving
- Christmas Eve
- Christmas Day
VTCPAP Training Opportunities
VTCPAP is available to provide some FREE live virtual trainings to primary care practices on a variety of mental health related topics including: ADHD, anxiety, behavioral challenges/agression, suicide, prevention and trauma. Please use this form to inquire about availability and scheduling a VTCPAP training for your practice.
Suicide Care Guidelines
- CALM Training Course
- Caring Contacts Examples
- Comprehensive Suicide Assessment
- Crisis Numbers by County
- Independent Mental Health Providers Trained in Suicide Prevention
- Parent Article about Child Suicidal Thoughts
- Patient Safety Plan Template
- PCP Office Letter of Introduction to Local Mental Health Colleagues
- Self-Poisoning Prevention Toolkit
- Suicidality
- Suicide Prevention Resources: Facing Suicide VT
- Suicide Screening and Prevention
Mental Health Guidelines
- ADHD
- Aggression in Youth (T-MAY Guidelines)
- Anxiety
- Bipolar Disorder
- Complex Trauma Description
- Creating a Trauma-Informed System
- Depression
- Disruptive Behavior and Aggression in Children
- Dissociative Disorders
- Eating Disorders
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
- Prodromal Resource for Families and Providers
- Psychosis
- SAD: Winter SAD Guide for PCPs
- School Avoidance Guide for PCPs
- Sleep
- Substance Use Disorder
- Suicidality
- Translating Early Childhood Science into Practice
- Trauma and PTSD
- Youth Vaping VCHIP Toolkit
Screenings
- Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program
- Short Guide to Mental Health Screening
- University of Washington
Vermont Resources
Family Resources
- ADHD
- ADHD: Parent’s Medication Guide from AACAP
- Alcohol & Substance Abuse: How to Talk to Your Child
- Anxiety: Parent’s Medication Guide from AACAP
- ASD: Parent’s Medication Guide from AACAP
- Autism
- Brief Parenting Course for Co-Parents
- Building the Skills Adults Need for Life for Parents
- Depression: Parent’s Medication Guide from AACAP
- Eating Disorders: Parent Toolkit
- Executive Function/Self-Regulation Activities for Kids
- Family Support Resources
- Grief & Loss: Caregiver Guide
- Feeding and Eating
- Learning How to Swallow a Pill
- Needle Phobia
- OCD: Caregiver Guide
- Outbursts: Parent’s Medication Guide from AACAP
- School Avoidance: Caregiver Guide
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Sleep
- Sleep Disorders: Parent’s Medication Guide from AACAP
- Special Time with Children for Caregivers
- Special Time with Teens for Caregivers
- Technology Use for Children: Caregiver Guide
- Technology Use for Teens: Caregiver Guide
- Washington PALS Resources for Families
Family Media Resources
- Better Screen Time: Offers many helpful resources for parents and caregivers on how to manage technology use in the home, including helpful templates for family technology agreements, how to know if your child is ready for social media, and technology-free activity ideas.
- Common Sense Media: Family Media Agreement templates
Professional Education Resources
- Current Status of Suicide Report
- McClean Suicide Prevention and Assessment Course 2022: video recordings available.
- The REACH Institute offers evidence-based mental health trainings for primary care providers for a fee (CME offered). VTCPAP teamed up with REACH to offer a three-day training for 25 Vermont PCPs in January, and will offer this opportunity again in the summer of 2023. Email vtcpap@vtcpap.com to be placed on the list of PCPs interested in future trainings. You can also sign up individually for REACH courses throughout the year on their website.
- Depression Research Summit: Understanding Suicide Risk in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Free research summit (CME not offered)
- PC-CARE is a brief adaptation of Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for primary care offices. UC-Davis offers an opportunity for applicants to receive free, online training in PC-CARE.
Future Directions
Many states provide a stepped care approach to increase mental health support for the patients of primary care providers. This consultation line is one aspect of that approach. We are working with Vermont partners to further enhance the levels of support available for PCPs.
*Adapted from the PALS Program at the University of Washington