Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Notice of Intent: W27006

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Bureau of Family Health and Nutrition (BFHN) is applying for the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Pediatric Mental Health Care Access notice of funding opportunity #26-058. HRSA will award 22 grants nationally for up to $445,000 each for 5 years.

The purpose of this grant is to improve mental and behavioral health for children and youth by funding programs that give pediatric primary care providers quick access to teleconsultation, training, and case coordination support

Grant funding would enable the Department of Public Health to enhance the implementation of mental health care access programs that increase regular screening and assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and referral of behavioral health conditions in children and youth, within primary care settings, with a special focus on the behavioral health needs, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, of young children. To accomplish this, DPH intends to continue to work with partners to reduce barriers to the Autism Early Diagnosis Project piloted by DPH and the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Project (MCPAP) in the previous grant cycle.

The grant requirements are as follows:

· Expand the number of providers who use real-time behavioral health teleconsultations and care coordination services, including help with referrals.

· Provide training on child and youth behavioral health, including how to screen for, diagnose, and treat these conditions.

· Expand access to PMHCA services and offer resources that address the behavioral health needs of children and youth.

· Ensure more children and youth receive needed behavioral health services because their providers contact the PMHCA program for teleconsultation and care coordination support, with a focus on those in rural areas and areas with health professional shortages.

The purpose of this notice is to publicize the DPH/BFHN intent to submit a federal grant application naming the Insurance Resource Center for Autism and Behavioral Health (AIRC) as its partner. DPH/BFHN intends to contract with AIRC because the organization is uniquely qualified to provide outreach, behavioral health service access navigation to families and technical assistance to pediatric care providers. AIRC was established in 2011 as a resource which provides information and support for consumers and the autism community to help educate them about autism insurance laws and obtain coverage for medical treatment. AIRC is based out of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at UMass Medical School. A few years ago, AIRC’s was expanded to include all behavioral health issues. They have supported over 30,000 families to navigate access to services for their loved ones, trained over 20,000 providers on behavioral health related insurance laws and regulations—as well as larger service access issues—and have received over 500,000 visitors to their web-based resource library. Their work is implemented through:

· Information and referral by phone/e-mail on issues related to insurance coverage for autism-related treatments and services for consumers, providers, employers, educators and others.

· Access to documents including legislation, FAQ’s, agency bulletins, etc.

· Support for employers and individuals covered by self-funded (ERISA) plans including explanation of what autism is, why treatment is important, and the implications of including coverage, including references to research, actuarial studies, etc.

· Information for individuals with coverage under MassHealth regarding access to autism treatments through MassHealth, purchase of private insurance through premium assistance, and other issues related to coordinating primary and secondary insurances.

· Development of webinars on behavioral health laws and related topics.

· Focus Groups for providers and other groups to discuss specific issues related to implementation.

· Trainings for parents, providers, clinicians, care coordinators, and educators.

The AIRC will assist in broadening the outreach of the Autism Early Diagnosis Project by leveraging their broad network of families and providers to ensure the community is educated about this resource. They will partner with families who experience challenges navigating insurance benefits for autism or other behavioral health diagnoses after their assessment. They will provide technical assistance to pediatric primary care teams to anticipate and reduce insurance barriers to accessing needed interventions. The AIRC will also provide opportunities for providers to connect and learn from others navigating similar challenges throughout the Commonwealth. PMHCA will partner with AIRC to strengthen the referral and care coordination strategies, provide training, provide outreach leading to increased number of providers served – and ultimately ensuring children and youth are connected to the appropriate and accessible behavioral health supports.

If you have equal qualifications to the organization mentioned above and would like to be considered for partnership on this grant, send qualifications along with any questions or comments with the subject line: Transforming Pediatrics for Early Childhood Project in writing to Marisa Matsudaira st Marisa.Matsudaira@mass.gov by 07/02/26 at 4:00 PM