Thank you for your interest in the New Jersey Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative (NJPPC).
Below you will find details, including benefits and requirements, as well as a link to register.
Over the past eight years, with support from the NJ Governor’s Office and funding from
the NJ Department of Children and Families, Hackensack Meridian Health, along with
Cooper University Health Care and Atlantic Health System, has successfully established
the New Jersey Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative (NJPPC), comprising 8 regional Hubs,
throughout the state. The ninth Hub, in Essex County, is managed by Rutgers University
Behavioral Health Care, ensuring that every county in the state has improved access to
pediatric mental health care.
The program is available for children and adolescents up to age 18 (or up to 21, if
patient is still being seen by the pediatric practices) and requires participating primary
care providers (PCP) to universally provide standardized mental health and substance
use screenings at each well visit. Participating pediatricians and pediatric clinicians can
consult with the NJPPC Hub Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists (CAPs) and mental health
staff for consults. They can also refer patients with identified concerns to the Hub
mental health specialists for intake and referral to services in their community.
All 9 of New Jersey’s Network Hubs launched a tele-psychiatry enhancement in Spring 2020. The tele-psychiatry enhancement allows patients and families referred to the Hub by participating Hub physicians to access tele-psychiatry services from their assigned Regional Hub. Tele-psychiatry consults can be provided from the Hub to the patient in the referring physician’s office, or from the Hub directly to the patient home. Active participation in a Network Hub is required for further registration in the tele-psychiatry enhancement. Providers who are not registered for their Hub must enroll before they can access these tele-psychiatry services. Already a member of your Hub? Email mhc@njaap.org to inquire about and enroll in tele-psychiatry. Not a member of your Hub? Register here and indicate that you would also like to enroll in tele-psychiatry.
Tele-psychiatry Advantages:
- Virtual psychiatric consultations expand access to quality mental health care
- Guidance from Child & Adolescent Psychiatrists (CAP) for caring for your patients’ mental/behavioral health care needs in real time
- Patient/family-centered approach for improved patient engagement, care coordination & clinical outcomes
- Choices for your patients: accessible in pediatric offices or in the comfort of a patient’s own home
Source: Call-In Consults the Answer to Severe Child Psychiatrist Shortage? – Medscape – Jul 30, 2019.
The NJPPC Hubs support pediatric clinicians in integrating mental/behavioral health and substance use screening, referral, and care coordination into their practices. The NJPPC Hubs provide pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists, pediatric clinicians, and family physicians who see a pediatric population with quick access to psychiatric consultation, and facilitate referrals for children/families in need of mental/behavioral health and substance use resources and support.
NJPPC Hub benefits include:
- Timely access to psychiatric consultative support for diagnostic clarification or
treatment recommendations, including initiation, or management of
medication. - One-time psychiatric evaluation for patients (as warranted by the CAP) with
ongoing collaboration for cases seen - Psychoeducation from Clinical Navigators, as well as
- Linkage to and referrals for community resources to support patient and
families - Continuing education opportunities in screening, management, treatment and
care coordination of common child and adolescent mental health symptoms
Learn more about the Mental/Behavioral Health Virtual Learning Collaborative
In order to participate in your designated NJPPC Hub, pediatric clinicians must register and agree to the following:
-
- Attend a mandatory brief virtual NJPPC Orientation with Hub staff and NJAAP
staff - Conduct universal mental health and substance use screening at child and
adolescent well visits, with the PSC-35, Y-PSC-37, SWYC, and CRAFFT 2.1*
validated, standardized screening tools - Complete initial practice demographic survey and annual survey on screening
practices and satisfaction with the NJPPC program
- Attend a mandatory brief virtual NJPPC Orientation with Hub staff and NJAAP
* Pediatric Symptom Checklist, Survey of Wellbeing of Young Children
Onboarding Process:
- Upon registration in the NJPPC, participants will receive a welcome email with
information on getting started, including scheduling a mandatory Orientation
(virtual) office visit with Hub and NJAAP staff. Following the Orientation
meeting, participants will receive access to a member website with links to all of
the tools and resources needed to begin implementing screening and referral to
their Hub.
All NJPPC Hub participants will receive access to and are encouraged to join in
monthly webinars and learning collaborative sessions for further education on
addressing mental health issues in their practice.
Participants are also encouraged to continue their education by registering for
NJAAP’s annual Learning Collaborative!
- Hackensack Meridian Hub @Hackensack University Medical Center:
Bergen County - Hackensack Meridian Hub @ Palisades Medical Center: Hudson, Union
Counties - Hackensack Meridian Hub @ Jersey Shore University Medical Center:
Monmouth, Ocean Counties - Hackensack Meridian Hub @ Middlesex and Mercer: Middlesex , Mercer
Counties
- Atlantic Health Hub @ Morristown Medical Center: Morris, Passaic
Counties - Atlantic Health Hub @ Newton Medical Center: Hunterdon, Somerset,
Sussex, Warren Counties
- Cooper North@ Cooper University Medical Center: Camden & Burlington
Counties - Cooper South @ Cooper University Medical Center: Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem,
Cumberland, Cape May Counties
For more information, watch our NJPPC Introductory Webinar and obtain CME/MOC Part 2 Credits