Name
H08 - Bridging Gaps, Improving Access: Pediatric Behavioral Health Integration for Young Children
Date & Time
Friday, October 17, 2025, 11:15 AM - 11:45 AM
Location Name
304
Description

This session explores innovative approaches to bridging primary care and specialty behavioral health to support children ages 0–5 and their families, ensuring that families are integral to the care process at every stage. Presenters from three different healthcare systems will highlight models that not only increase access and improve care coordination but also prioritize family involvement, ensuring that families are empowered partners in their children's care. Topics will include embedded specialty consultation, stepped care models, and innovative referral pathways. The session will also address current challenges, including advancing health equity in a shifting political landscape and the impact of increasing stress on the U.S. healthcare system. Attendees will gain insights into overcoming systemic barriers, implementing sustainable solutions, and using utilization and demographic data to drive improvements in care.

Speakers
Michelle Pievsky PhD, Psychologist and Assistant Clinical Professor, Brown University Health,
Susan Pfau MA, LMFT, RPT, LifeStance Health,
Katy Hopkins PhD, Executive Medical Director of Pediatric Behavioral Health, Norton Children's Medical Group, Louisville,
Michelle Pievsky Susan Pfau Katy Hopkins
Content Level
All Audience
Tags
Innovations, Pediatrics, Team-based care
Session Type
Concurrent
SIG or Committee
Pediatrics (PEDs)
Objective 1
Identify at least two pathways for integration that enhance connections between primary and specialty behavioral health care for children ages 0–5.
Objective 2
Explore strategies to integrate families as central partners in treatment planning, ensuring their voices are heard in care decisions.
Objective 3
Describe systemic challenges—including equity concerns and increasing healthcare system stressors—and innovative solutions that improve care coordination and access for young children.
Content Reference 1

Asarnow, J. R., Rozenman, M., Wiblin, J., & Zeltzer, L. (2015). Integrated medical-behavioral care compared with usual primary care for child and adolescent behavioral health. JAMA Pediatrics, 169(10), 929-937.

Content Reference 2

Kolko, D. J., Campo, J. V., Kilbourne, A. M., & Kelleher, K. (2012). Pediatric behavioral health integrated care: A review of quality measures. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 37(5), 486-501.

Content Reference 3

Robinson, P., & Reiter, J. (2016). Behavioral Consultation and Primary Care: A Guide to Integrating Services. Springer International Publishing.

Content Reference 4

SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions. (2020). Core competencies for integrated behavioral health and primary care.

Content Reference 5

Marlowe, D., Hodgson, J., Lamson, A., White, M., Irons, T. (2014). Medical Family Therapy in Integrated Primary Care: An Interactional Framework. In: Hodgson, J., Lamson, A., Mendenhall, T., Crane, D. (eds) Medical Family Therapy. Springer, Cham.