The University of Idaho plans to use a $1.2 million federal grant to fill a unique statewide healthcare void.
The grant will help establish the Idaho Pediatric Psychiatry Access Line, or ID-PPAL. Expected to launch in 2027, the access line will link pediatric healthcare providers with child and adolescent psychiatrists.
Idaho is the only state without such an access line, according to a U of I news release. Idaho ranks No. 48 in mental health, based on illness rates and access to care, according to the release. Consequently, families seeking a child psychiatric appointment can face a six- to 12-month wait — and some families can’t even get an appointment.
“Idaho’s primary care providers have become the front line for pediatric behavioral health simply because there are not enough child psychiatrists to go around,” said Russell Baker, co-director of the U of I’s School of Health and Medical Professions. “This funding lets us give them the backup they never had: real, direct access to psychiatric expertise, so a family does not have to wait months or drive hours to get their child help.”
The U of I has been developing the program for nearly three years. It will include a consultation line linking healthcare providers with psychiatrists, a hub offering healthcare providers with clinical tools and referral pathways and training for healthcare providers.
“We are building a program that providers can lean on again and again, paired with training that helps them feel more confident handling these cases themselves over time,” said Shannon McDowell of SHAMP.
The $1.2 million is a small piece of Idaho’s $185.9 million in federal grants, the first installment of a five-year rural healthcare grant program. This week, the feds announced that Idaho will receive a smaller grant in Year Two, roughly $182.7 million.
