The lack of mental health care professionals in Kentucky is causing our youth to face increasing challenges in addressing their mental healthcare needs, especially in rural areas. Kentucky Mental Health Care Access for Resiliency in Kids (KY MARK) is the state’s Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program (PMHCA). This program is a mental and behavioral health education and teleconsultation resource for primary care professionals for assistance and support in the management of children’s mental health problems.
KY MARK aims to increase access to mental and behavioral health care services for children in the primary care setting through the collaboration of Primary Care Providers (PCPs) with Child Psychiatry Professionals. The University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville have teams that will provide consultation with a state wide reach. This partnership with the consulting teams will help PCPs buildknowledge, skills, and confidence in managing and treating children with mental and behavioral health issues. As a result, by participating in the program, PCPs gain proficiency in screening, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of mental and behavioral disorders.
At no cost, the KY MARK program offers to primary care providers:- Access to consultation with the child psychiatry team from the University of Kentucky or the University of Louisville.
- Training and education to establish proficiency and comfort inroutine screening, diagnosing, treating, and managingmental/behavioral disorders.
- Access to referral for complex pediatric mental and behavioral needs.
- Access and/or referral to community-wide services.
This work is supported through a cooperative agreement from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).