Rhode Island’s children and adolescents face significant challenges in accessing timely and affordable mental healthcare. In response to this need, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) is working in conjunction with the Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital to expand its existing child psychiatry access program, the Pediatric Psychiatry Resource Network (PediPRN). The project is funded through a federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant. The mission of PediPRN is to improve access to behavioral healthcare for Rhode Island children and adolescents who have mild to moderate mental healthcare needs through support of pediatric primary care providers.

PediPRN is free and provides all Rhode Island pediatric primary care providers with access to prompt telephonic consultations, including recommendations for medical prescribing; face-to-face psychiatric evaluations, as needed, with return to the treating primary care practitioner for medication management; phone availability for ongoing collaboration; referral to other mental health services and programs; and short-term therapy to bridge children awaiting the appropriate behavioral health services. In addition, PediPRN offers educational activities to pediatric primary care providers to support their work in caring for their patients with mental health conditions. To learn more or to enroll in PediPRN please visit PediPRN.org.