Transforming Pediatric Mental Health in Rural Wyoming: An Overview of Challenges, Best Practices, and Innovative Solutions

Participants will explore how integrated care models serve as essential solutions for overcoming barriers to mental health services in sparsely populated, geographically isolated communities. The session begins by analyzing the distinctive obstacles facing rural pediatric mental health care, including provider shortages, geographic isolation, stigma, and limited specialty resources. Participants will examine how these challenges disproportionately impact children and families in rural Wyoming communities and learn how integrated care frameworks can systematically address these barriers through collaborative, team-based approaches. A comprehensive review of integration levels forms the core learning component, distinguishing between coordinated care (shared communication and planning), co-located care (services delivered in shared physical spaces), and fully integrated care (unified treatment teams with shared protocols and outcomes). Special emphasis will be placed on understanding how the Partnership Access Line (PAL) model enables effective integration even when specialists are not physically present, using telecommunication technology and consultation frameworks to extend psychiatric expertise to remote primary care settings. The session includes practical application of evidence-based screening tools across pediatric developmental stages. Participants will learn to select and implement age-appropriate instruments for conditions including anxiety, depression, ADHD, and trauma exposure, with consideration for cultural sensitivity and rural community contexts. Finally, participants will map specific workflow integration points where PAL consultation can be strategically incorporated into existing clinical processes.