In 2020, approximately 33% of children between the ages of 3 and 17 in Rhode Island, who needed mental health services, were unable to obtain necessary care. In light of this mental health crisis, the Hassenfeld Institute is working with community partners and federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to bring integrated behavioral health care to pediatric primary care settings. This integrated model expands pediatric primary care teams to include:

• Community health workers and behavioral health clinicians
• Clinical training
• Practice transformation support, and 
• Standardized metrics

It enhances the efficiency of behavioral health care by matching the intensity of services to individuals’ symptoms and needs, allowing most concerns to be managed in primary care.