Understanding the Pediatric Mental Health System

When your child is receiving mental health care, their primary care physician, or PCP, can be a resource for you and your family. It’s best to keep them updated on your child’s care and progress, and to reach out to them for resources and support. Additionally, as your child transitions between different levels of mental health care, their PCP can help keep an eye on their progress, give you referrals as needed and make recommendations throughout their journey.

What is my primary care physician’s role in mental health care?

Your child’s PCP is always there for your family and can be a valuable resource in managing their mental health. This starts with yearly screenings around social and emotional health, which may include depression and anxiety screenings. They also often ask about how school is going, your child’s friendships and family life. Making sure your child is screened at least once a year is an important step in getting them the help they may need.

Depending on the type of care your child is receiving for mental health, their PCP’s role will look different. In some cases, PCPs may be heavily involved as part of the care team addressing your child’s mental health needs, while in others, they help mostly in the background, staying informed and checking in at yearly visits. If your child is on medication for their mental health, your PCP may help manage the prescription and make sure it is the right fit for your child. Be sure to talk to your PCP about any medications your child is taking.

Does insurance cover primary care visits?

Whether your family has private insurance or Medicaid, routine visits with a PCP are usually covered. You may have a copay or coinsurance depending on your plan, so make sure you check with your insurance company to learn the ins and outs of what's covered and how much you will be expected to pay for the visits.

Primary care and education

Your family’s PCP can help you make arrangements with your child’s school if they need additional support due to mental health challenges or struggles. They are often a safe person for your child to talk to about things like bullying at school, academic challenges, struggles with teachers or learning approaches, or behavioral concerns in the classroom. PCPs can help advocate with schools to help get the resources your child needs to be successful. 

Having a release of information, or ROI, in place between your child’s PCP and school can help make it easier for your doctor to support your family. This gives your doctor permission to work directly with your child’s school to ensure they have the best chance of succeeding academically.

What can you do at home to support your family?

With any life changes or major mental health challenges, your child’s PCP can be a great support for your family. They can advise you on taking care of your own mental health as a caregiver and connect your family with community resources and organizations that help improve access to care. They can also help coordinate your child’s care in community or school settings to further support health and well-being. Consider signing ROIs for your PCP to communicate with community-based programs or agencies that are providing mental health supports to your child or your family.

Relationships with PCPs can be very valuable in supporting your child’s mental health. Finding the right PCP means having someone who your family can rely on and trust to help navigate this journey.

After quality time, the most impactful thing you can do to support your child's mental health is to ensure that their most basic needs are covered. Learn how you can help your child eat better, sleep more and get enough activity to improve and protect their mental well-being.