Through a partnership with the University of California, San Francisco Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Program (USCF CAPP), the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) will launch a statewide behavioral health eConsult service to provide pediatricians, primary care physicians and other practitioners (e.g., school-based service providers) access to consultation support from licensed behavioral health professionals, including psychiatrists.
In addition to providing remote and real-time consultation support with behavioral health clinical experts, it will offer access to behavioral health resources, tools and supports, including trainings to strengthen the workforce and improve the capacity of primary care providers and pediatricians to provide behavioral health treatment to children, youth and young adults.
Launch the statewide eConsult portal to provide synchronous and asynchronous behavioral health consults and warmline support.
Connect pediatricians, primary care physicians and other providers to behavioral health professionals to receive consultation and guidance when providing behavioral health care.
Create learning opportunities for primary care and behavioral health professionals.
Improve access to behavioral health tools, supports and resources for primary care providers and pediatricians.
Formed an expert working group to advise and inform the development of an eConsult platform.
Completed a process to identify a technology services vendor to support the statewide launch of the eConsult service.
Finalized and executed contract with UCSF.
Looking ahead: DHCS will work with UCSF to a successful rollout of the eConsult service across the state, including launching a new e-Consult portal, asynchronous consultation support and learning management system in 2024.
