American Rescue Plan Act - Pediatric Mental Health Care Access – New Area Expansion | HRSA 21 122

Opportunity Information: Apply for HRSA 21 122

The American Rescue Plan Act - Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) - New Area Expansion opportunity (HRSA-21-122) is a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) cooperative agreement designed to expand access to pediatric mental health expertise by embedding behavioral health support into pediatric primary care through telehealth-enabled consultation networks. The program centers on the idea that many children and adolescents first present behavioral health concerns in primary care settings, but primary care teams often lack timely access to child psychiatry and other specialized behavioral health resources. By funding statewide or regional networks of pediatric mental health care teams, HRSA aims to strengthen the ability of pediatric primary care providers to identify, diagnose, treat, and appropriately refer children with behavioral health conditions, while also reducing delays in care.

A core requirement is building or expanding a structured state or regional network of pediatric mental health care teams that operate as an integrated support resource for pediatric primary care sites. These teams are expected to deliver rapid clinical consultation to front-line pediatric providers using telehealth and other telecommunications tools, including real-time video, telephone-based consults, store-and-forward approaches (such as sharing relevant clinical information or images securely for later review), and mobile health applications when appropriate. The telehealth concept in this program is provider-to-provider focused and is meant to support long-distance clinical consultation, professional education and training, and related health administration functions that make consultation and coordination practical across large geographies.

Funded programs are expected to offer a defined set of functions that collectively create a dependable access pathway for primary care clinicians seeking pediatric mental health guidance. This includes conducting an assessment to identify the most critical behavioral health consultation needs among pediatric providers in the target area and learning the preferred methods providers want to use for consultations, training, and technical assistance. Recipients must also develop an online database and communication mechanism to streamline how pediatric practices request and receive help, and to facilitate ongoing connections between primary care sites and pediatric mental health experts. A major operational expectation is the ability to provide rapid consultation when requested, typically via telephone or telehealth, so primary care teams can get real-time or near-real-time clinical input for evaluation, medication questions, crisis considerations, and next-step planning.

Beyond consultation, the opportunity emphasizes workforce and practice capacity building. Recipients must conduct training and provide technical assistance to pediatric primary care providers to strengthen early identification, diagnosis, treatment, and referral processes for pediatric behavioral health conditions. Programs are also expected to help primary care practices navigate and access specialty behavioral health providers, including child and adolescent psychiatrists, developmental-behavioral pediatricians, and licensed mental health professionals such as psychologists, social workers, and mental health counselors. Practical support like helping with scheduling, understanding referral options, and making effective connections to community-based behavioral health resources is part of the model. Recipients should also support referrals to specialty care and community services and implement care coordination approaches that make it easier for children and families to reach the right level of care.

Health equity is a central focus of the New Area Expansion effort. HRSA signals that successful recipients should directly address racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities in access to pediatric mental health services, with particular attention to rural, frontier, hard-to-reach, and other underserved communities. In practice, that means program design and outreach should be built to reach providers and patients who typically face the greatest access barriers, whether due to distance, limited specialty workforce availability, or systemic inequities. The broader aim aligns with HRSA strategic priorities: improving access to quality services, strengthening a workforce equipped for current and emerging needs, advancing health equity, and improving population health outcomes.

Measurement and accountability are also built into the program. Recipients must establish mechanisms to measure and monitor whether access to pediatric mental health care services is increasing for primary care providers and whether primary care capacity is expanding over time. This includes tracking how effectively the network is being used, whether providers are gaining skills and confidence to manage behavioral health concerns, and whether referral pathways and consultation processes are working as intended. The emphasis is not just on providing one-off advice, but on creating sustained system-level improvements in how pediatric behavioral health needs are handled in primary care.

In terms of who the program serves, the primary audience is pediatric primary care providers and their teams, including pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and care coordinators. HRSA also encourages grantees to broaden impact by engaging additional provider types who often encounter pediatric behavioral health needs, such as developmental-behavioral pediatricians and other physician specialists (for example, obstetrician-gynecologists, endocrinologists, and gastroenterologists), as well as behavioral health clinicians and social workers. This reflects a recognition that children and adolescents touch multiple parts of the health system, and building consistent behavioral health integration benefits from reaching beyond traditional pediatric primary care alone.

Administratively, this is a discretionary cooperative agreement funded under CFDA 93.110 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through HRSA. The notice lists an award ceiling of $445,000 and anticipated 32 awards. The funding opportunity was originally posted May 19, 2021, with an original closing date of July 6, 2021, and eligibility is described broadly as "Others" with additional details referenced in the full eligibility section of the notice. Overall, the opportunity funds practical, telehealth-enabled consultation and training networks that help primary care teams respond faster and more effectively to pediatric mental health needs, while intentionally pushing services and capacity into communities that have historically had the least access.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "American Rescue Plan Act - Pediatric Mental Health Care Access – New Area Expansion" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.110.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 19, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 06, 2021. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $445,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 32 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for HRSA 21 122

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