title: Working to improve mental health services: the North Carolina advocacy effort.
abstract: Poor reimbursement of pediatricians for behavioral and developmental services and the disarray of children's mental health services in the state led leaders of the North Carolina chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics to organize an advocacy effort with the following objectives: 1) to articulate pediatricians' perspective on the current crisis in delivering and coordinating children's behavioral health services; 2) to represent the collective voice of both academic and community pediatricians in dialogue with mental health providers, Medicaid leaders, and the health and mental health segments of state government; 3) to build consensus about an achievable plan of action to address pediatricians' reimbursement and systems issues; 4) to develop a full and appropriate role for pediatricians as providers and, potentially, coordinators of behavioral health care; and 5) to facilitate implementation of Medicaid changes, as a first step in carrying out this plan. This article describes the 24-month process that achieved these objectives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA. jmfoy@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: Jane Meschan
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Foy
authors.forename: Marian F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Earls
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Horowitz
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees / Q000458:organization & administration; D002648:Child; D032921:Consensus; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008484:Medicaid; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D009657:North Carolina; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms / Q000458:organization & administration; D013219:State Government