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Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
- How do I enroll in the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Project (MCPAP)?
- How do I know if my practice is already enrolled with MCPAP?
- How much does it cost to enroll with MCPAP?
- What insurances does MCPAP take?
- What kind of questions may I ask the MCPAP child psychiatrist?
- How long does it take to get a call back when I call my MCPAP hub with a question?
- May a parent call MCPAP and ask for a consultation for his/her child?
- What are the possible outcomes of a MCPAP telephone consultation?
- Where can I find the telephone number of my MCPAP hub?
- Do I have to use the MCPAP service once I am enrolled?
- Who is in charge of the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Project?
- How may I ask a question that is not listed here?
One way to begin the enrollment process is to fill out the sign up form on this website. Another way to is to call one of the regional MCPAP hubs listed under MCPAP services. Someone from one of our regional hubs will contact you regarding sign up and orientation.
Click here for the link to the list of currently enrolled practices. If a primary care provider’s practice is currently enrolled, the primary care provider may call his/her regional MCPAP office with a behavioral health question at anytime Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MCPAP is free to all Massachusetts primary care providers who treat children. This program is currently funded through the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH).
A MCPAP-enrolled primary care clinician may call for a consultation with a MCPAP child psychiatrist regardless of the type of insurance that the patient has.
MCPAP supports and educates primary care clinicians on how to handle behavioral health issues. A primary care clinician may call regarding a mental health question or concern pertaining to particular patient. He/she may call about a general question regarding the diagnosis and treatment of a specific disorder, use of a particular medication, or about questions pertaining to resources in the area. The questions may be patient specific. We also answer general questions that are not patient specific. We have special consultants on board who can answer questions about screening tools. The general rule of thumb should be that if a primary care physician has any type of question regarding a behavioral health issue, he/she should call his/her regional MCPAP hub.
You should receive a call back within a half hour. It is possible to receive a call back while the family is in the waiting room. In any case, a call back should not take any longer than one hour.
No. MCPAP is a service which supports primary care clinicians. If a parent has a concern about the mental health of his/her child, he/she should express those concerns to his/her child’s primary care clinician. The primary care clinician may call MCPAP for a consultation.
The following scenarios may result from the telephone consultation. The MCPAP child psychiatrist may
- be able to answer the primary care clinician’s question over the telephone;
- need to see the patient for a face-to-face evaluation in order to answer the primary care clinician’s question;
- refer the primary care clinician to the care coordinator for information about resources in the community; or
- recommend that the patient see the MCPAP therapist for evaluation and/or interim treatment.
If you have misplaced the telephone number of your MCPAP hub, click here.
You are not obligated to use MCPAP once you are enrolled. However, out satisfaction surveys indicate that most primary care clinicians who do call MCPAP find the MCPAP consultations to be helpful.
MCPAP is administered by the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership (MBHP), a ValueOptions subsidiary.
The senior management of MCPAP includes:
1) John Straus, MD, Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs, MBHP
Dr. Straus, a pediatrician, led the design and planning of the project, and serves as the senior executive of the MCPAP.
2) Barry Sarvet, MD, Joseph Gold, MD, Co-Medical Directors, MCPAP
Drs. Sarvet and Gold, child and adolescent psychiatrists, oversee the clinical affairs of the six regional teams and work with Dr. Straus in program planning and the establishment of clinical policies.
3) Martha Page, Program Manager, MCPAP
Martha Page oversees MCPAP general operations.
Each MCPAP regional team has clinical and administrative leadership as follows:
Tufts Medical Center
Charles Moore, MD, Medical Director
Baystate Medical Center
Barry Sarvet, MD, Medical Director
UMass Memorial Medical Center
Mary Jeffers-Terry, RNCS, Program Director
Massachusetts General Hospital
Jeffrey Q. Bostic, MD, EdD, Medical Director
McLean Hospital-Brockton
Mark Picciotto, PhD, Administrator
North Shore Children's Hospital
Jefferson Prince, MD, Medical Director
Please drop an email with your question to irene.tanzman@valueoptions.com. The MCPAP Data Analyst or the MCPAP Project Manager may call or email you, or you may receive a response from your regional MCPAP hub.
Last revised: 6/25/09