Name
Poster 36 - Addressing Barriers to Specialty Behavioral Health Services: Findings from the PATHWAY Intervention
Date & Time
Friday, October 9, 2026, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Location Name
Grand Foyer (4th Floor)
Description

Pediatric behavioral health needs continue to rise, yet many families encounter significant barriers when attempting to access specialty behavioral health services after referral from primary care. This presentation examines findings from the PATHWAY care navigation intervention, a program designed to support families in overcoming barriers to behavioral health service access. Results highlight patterns of logistical and perceptual barriers experienced by caregivers and explore how these barriers changed over time during participation in the intervention. Implications for care navigation, health equity, and strategies to improve access to specialty behavioral health services will be discussed.

Speakers
Ayanda Chakawa, PhD
Emma Thomas
Jessica Sun
Co-Authors
Chinecherem Ihenacho, BA, UMKC Social Work Department/Children's Mercy Department of Pediatrics, Kansas City, MO
Tags
Patient-centered care or Patient perspectives, Primary Care Behavioral Health Model, Social justice or DEI
Session Type
Poster
Identify common logistical and perceptual barriers that families encounter when accessing specialty behavioral health services following referral from pediatric primary care.
Describe the PATHWAY care navigation intervention and its role in supporting families' access to specialty behavioral health services.
Interpret findings regarding changes in perceived barriers over time and sociodemographic differences in barriers to care to inform efforts aimed at improving equitable access to behavioral health services.

Abrams, Z. (2023, January 1). Kids' mental health is in crisis. Here's what psychologists are doing to help. Monitor on Psychology, 54(1). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/01/trends-improving-youth-mental-health

Chakawa, A., Crawford, T. P., Belzer, L. T., & Yeh, H.-W. (2024). Disparities in accessing specialty behavioral health services during the COVID-19 pandemic and why we need pediatric integrated primary care. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15: 1356979. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1356979

Ibrahimi, M., Tsegaye, S., Kulkarni, J., Gonzalez, M., & Guyon-Harris, K. (2026). Caregiver Perspectives on Barriers to Accessing Behavioral Health care: Opportunities and Challenges for Pediatric Settings. Academic pediatrics, 26(4), 103287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2026.103287