By Peter S. Jensen, MD, Vice Chair for Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic
The Minnesota Collaborative Psychiatric Consultation Service has been in place since August 1, 2012. On April 1, Allina Health joined Mayo Clinic, PrairieCare, Sanford Health, and Essentia. Together, the partners’ child and adolescent psychiatrists and triage mental health professionals are available from 7 am to 7 pm, Monday through Friday, for primary care and psychiatric providers seeking consultation for their most complex patients.
Service categories and specifics include (but are not limited to):
1. Outreach and education enabling collaborative partnerships between mental health and primary care, specifically training and CME for local practitioners to create a cadre of primary care “champions” providing quality mental health services in primary care and ongoing coordination with other collaborative efforts, such as medical homes.
2. Daily psychiatric consultation services to primary care and other health providers using evidence-based, state-approved protocols
3. Claims authorization and consultation procedure codes. Consultees can now code for their participation in the consultation. Claims can be submitted by both primary care providers and psychiatric consultants using the 99499 procedural code and can submit claims online. Providers may bill for a same-day office visit and a consultation when appropriate (see www.mnpsychconsult.com/voluntary-consultations.html).
4. Tools for locating available mental health services, namely Fast-Tracker, an online searchable database of mental health referral resources across Minnesota that provides region-by-region information about available mental health services and is accessible by mental health providers, primary care staff, and/or patients and families.
Data collected through March 19 shows that of the 396 consultations that have taken place, most were mandatory, resulting from prescriptions exceeding medication thresholds determined by the DHS Medication Threshold Workgroup made up of experts in child and adolescent psychiatry.
Consultations were for very complex cases with nearly 40 percent involving ASD Diagnosis. Of the 127 providers who had contact with the service, 88
(69.3 percent) were psychiatric specialists (MDs, CNS/CNP), 29 (22.8
percent) specialized in pediatrics (e.g., pediatricians, developmental and behavioral pediatricians, and pediatric CNS/CNP), 7 (5.5 percent) were family physicians and nurses, and 3 (2.4 percent) were neurologists.
The service also offers education and referral support through the coalition’s nonclinical partners, REACH and the Minnesota Mental Health Community Foundation. REACH has trained 65 to date with openings for 160 more through June 2015.
Trainings are scheduled in Duluth May 10-12, Rochester August 9-11, Moorhead September 20-22, and the Twin Cities October 11-13. The 2-day trainings (Friday 1 pm – Sunday 1 pm) offer a highly interactive training format to train champions for children’s mental health in their clinics. Trainees also benefit from six months of semi-monthly follow-up calls for case discussions. These trainings are integral to one of the service’s goals – building a stronger, more integrated network of providers in every region.
Fast-Tracker, a single source for providers and those seeking services, is available at www.fast-trackermn.org Call 1-855-431-6468 to access the Minnesota Collaborative Psychiatric Consultation Service.
