First Telebehavioral Care Program for Adolescents and Children

Physician organization and behavioral care industry leaders target anxiety and depression  

Mount Laurel, NJ, and Chicago, IL – September 8, 2021 — Array Behavioral Care, the largest telepsychiatry service provider in the country and a thought leader in modern behavioral care, today announced an expanded partnership with United Physicians, one of the country’s largest physician organizations, on a new telebehavioral Collaborative Care Model for adolescents at participating pediatrician offices in Michigan. A first of its kind, the pediatric Collaborative Care Model comes on the heels of a recently launched, immediately successful behavioral care program by Array and United Physicians targeting adults in primary care settings. Both the adult and pediatric programs are rapidly expanding to new practices across Michigan.

As a result of the rise in demand for behavioral care needs among children and teens, the Collaborative Care Model has emerged as a key component of behavioral health integration in pediatric settings. Research shows that there are only nine psychiatrists per 100,000 people, and child and adolescent specialists are in even shorter supply. Under the new Array and United Physicians Collaborative Care Model, a participating pediatrician works closely with Array’s behavioral health clinicians to provide timely access to scarce child psychiatric resources. By connecting pediatricians with child and adolescent psychiatrists virtually, Array and United Physicians empower PCPs to manage more care needs in the primary care environment patients are familiar with. Not only does this remove barriers to access and minimize referral follow-up issues, but it also helps remove stigmas associated with mental health treatment by connecting the treatment to the established PCP–patient relationship.

In the program, pediatricians identify patients between the ages of 12 and 18 in need of behavioral health care through screenings, such as PHQ-9 (depression) and GAD-7 (anxiety). Once a patient is identified, the pediatrician discusses program enrollment with the patient and works with Array’s behavioral health care managers and consulting psychiatrist on a treatment plan. The program is integrated clinically as well as operationally. Array clinicians work within pediatricians’ EMRs to see and suggest prescriptions for medications. Additionally, the teams utilize detailed registries to track patients’ progress over time. What’s more, these Collaborative Care services are not only scalable and available to pediatric practices of all sizes, but are a covered benefit under patients’ health plans, making this critical behavioral care financially accessible to both patients and physicians.

“Our PCPs have been inundated with behavioral health needs, yet have not had the resources to address them in the most timely, appropriate, or financially feasible manner,” said Dr. Kim Coleman, Chief Medical Officer at United Physicians. “We’ve seen how our partnership with Array improved the health of our adult populations, so it was an easy decision to apply this Collaborative Care Model to help our adolescents in need. We couldn’t have done this without Array’s expertise, guidance, and collaboration, and the participation of our payers.”

The pediatric Collaborative Care Model follows the launch of a successful adult model between Array and United Physicians, which has achieved sustained improvements on PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores among adults enrolled in the program. Patient-reported measures indicate that patients feel improvement in dealing with anxiety and depression, are better able to engage in activities of daily living and are more satisfied with their lives and relationships as a result of the program.

“United Physicians and Array are aligned in our goal to help patients achieve remission of conditions, not just reduction of symptoms. We’ve seen it in adults, and we expect the same among teens and children,” said Charissa Isaacs, LPC, Manager of Collaborative Care for Array Behavioral Care. “We are so grateful to partner with United Physicians in bringing psychiatry into primary care settings. The Collaborative Care Model requires a team approach, and we couldn’t have asked for a better partner.”

Array’s telepsychiatry services and solutions have helped transform the behavioral healthcare landscape. As an industry pioneer, Array Behavioral Care continues to advocate and educate the medical community about telepsychiatry’s benefits. Learn more about Array today.

About Array BC

Array Behavioral Care (formerly InSight + Regroup) is the leading and largest telepsychiatry service provider in the country with a mission to transform access to quality, timely behavioral healthcare. Array offers telepsychiatry solutions and services across the continuum of care, from hospital to home, through its OnDemand, Scheduled, and AtHome divisions. For more than 20 years, Array has partnered with hundreds of hospitals and health systems, community healthcare organizations, and payers of all sizes to expand access to care and improve outcomes for underserved individuals, facilities, and communities. As an industry pioneer and established thought leader, Array has helped shape the field, define the standard of care, and advocate for improved telepsychiatry-friendly regulations. To learn more, visit www.arraybc.com.

About United Physicians

United Physicians, Inc. (UP), is one of Michigan's largest independent physician organizations, representing 2,200 physicians with medical staff privileges at hospitals throughout Southeast Michigan. UP's mission is to deliver a healthcare system of excellence to its community through a coordinated, efficient, and integrated network of physicians. Visit www.updoctors.com to learn more.

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