Program offers pediatric consults from UMMC

Children in central Mississippi and the Mississippi Delta in need of mental or behavioral health services can quickly benefit from a telehealth program offered through the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

In conjunction with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, UMMC is offering the federally funded program CHAMP, or Child Access to Mental Health and Psychiatry. Primary care providers and pediatricians, especially those in areas with few or no psychiatric providers, can take advantage of the service via a phone line.

When a primary care provider calls the CHAMP phone number, a UMMC mental health professional will be available to assist them and provide them with a consultation, or if needed, schedule a consultation with the appropriate provider. The goal is to help the provider be more equipped to address their pediatric patient's mental health needs.

"Instead of a family having to wait for an appointment with a mental health professional, and then travel for what could be hours for some families in the Delta, the child's primary care provider can call us," said Dr. Dustin Sarver, associate professor of pediatrics and a clinical child psychologist.

Consultations will be offered with an educational focus and will be provided by child and adolescent psychiatrists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, or a licensed professional counselor depending on the need and request of the provider. The team also includes a resource coordinator and, through a partnership with Families as Allies, a family partner to assist in advocating for the child and their family.

The CHAMP team will assist the provider with screening information, medication management, diagnosis, resources, and referrals when needed. That expert assistance will enable the local physician or caregiver to provide patients with better treatment for issues such as behavioral problems, mood disorders, and other conditions – meaning more families will have access to children's mental health services without leaving the community.

The CHAMP consultation line is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Primary care providers can call 601-984-2080 to reach a member of the CHAMP team.