Vermont Child Psychiatry Access Program

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 2022:

• 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
  

Suicide Care Guidelines

• CALM Training Course
• Caring Contacts Examples
• Independent Mental Health Providers Trained in Suicide Prevention
• Patient Safety Plan Template
• PCP Office Letter of Introduction to Local Mental Health Colleagues
• Self-Poisoning Prevention Toolkit
• Suicidality
• 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
  • Eating Disorders (UVM)
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)
• Prodromal Resource for Families and Providers
• Psychosis
• 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

• Legal Resources for Special Education
• Vermont Resources Guide

Family Resources

• ADHD
• Autism
• Brief Parenting Course for Co-Parents
• Building the Skills Adults Need for Life for Parents
• Executive Function/Self-Regulation Activities for Kids
• Feeding and Eating
• Needle Phobia
• Parent Toolkit for Eating Disorders
  • Supporting those with Disordered Eating
• Sleep
• Washington PALS Resources for Families

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

This program is supported by the VT DMH Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program with funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as part of an award totaling $634,130 with 23% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.