Tele-Behavioral Health Provider Consultations
The UNMC Tele-Behavioral Health Consultation Team (TBHC) provides mental health care support to primary care providers in Nebraska who are managing patients with behavioral health problems. This includes individuals who are providing services to children, adolescents and young adults through age 21. Providers are available to offer guidance on diagnosis, medications and psychotherapy interventions to assist primary care providers in better managing patients in their practices. Support is available through phone and synchronous audio/video teleconference consultations to referring primary care providers.
The UNMC TBHC Team is supported by
an award from Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NEDHHS). The award is made possible by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Pediatric Mental Health Care Access Program, Grant No. U4CMC32322, with NEDHHS as lead state agency. The contents of the project are the responsibility of UNMC MMI and do not necessarily represent official views of, or endorsement by, HRSA or NEDHHS.
The goal of the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) Program
is to increase access to pediatric mental health care across Nebraska. The TBHC Team works to meet this goal by providing guidance and consultation to primary care providers across greater Nebraska, so they feel more confident managing the mental and behavioral health needs of their patients. This will allow many children, adolescents, and young adults across Nebraska to receive quality care locally.
Meet the Team
The TBHC Team is made up of three child and adolescent practitioners: one psychiatrist, one developmental behavioral pediatrician, and one psychiatric nurse practitioner/licensed psychologist. All three providers have experience providing tele-behavioral health services and consultation with primary care providers.
- Ryan Edwards, MD
- Cindy Ellis, MD
- Christian Klepper, PsyD
- Terri Mathews, PhD, APRN-NP
- Holly Roberts, PhD
Request a Consultation
Submit this form to request a consultation Submit this additional form to complete our brief survey and sign the TBHC Terms and Conditions (for PCP's requesting a consultation for the first time only)
TBHC Webinar Series:
Intended for primary care providers in Nebraska, the TBHC webinar series seeks to provide PCPs with tools to increase confidence and competence in managing psychiatric and behavioral health concerns in primary care. This series will assist in managing depression, sleep concerns and autism in the pediatric primary care setting, as well as understanding and addressing the effects of COVID-19 on children and adolescents.
FAQs and Resources
The primary care provider (PCP) initiates a consultation request electronically (submit the form above). There is at least one member of the TBHC Team available on most business days to ensure a prompt response. Consultation services are available Monday through Friday during business hours. This service is available to any PCP who serves pediatric patients in Nebraska.
To request a consultation, the primary care provider (or a representative, like a nurse or care coordinator) can submit information via the link on this webpage above to 'Submit this form to request a consultation.'The PCP will be asked to provide basic information regarding the patient/situation of interest. The Consultation Team member will not request any identifying information that would violate the patient’s confidentiality and does not document in a medical record.
As we are not able to guarantee an immediate response to a consultation request, a request can be made by a representative for the enrolled PCP, such as the clinic's behavioral health provider or a support staff member. The consultation can be arranged for a time when the enrolled PCP is available to discuss with one of our expert team members. PCPs can generally expect to receive a response from one of the team members within 24-48 business hours.
This service is available to PCPs who serve pediatric patients in Nebraska!
The first time a PCP requests a consultation, they will be required to agree to the Terms & Conditions and to complete a brief survey. The survey and Terms & Conditions can be found just below the link to request a consultation. The PCP only has to do this one time.
All primary care providers who serve pediatric patients in the state of Nebraska are eligible to participate. We call PCPs who have used this consultation service “Participating Providers.” To become a participating provider, the PCP should agree to and sign the Terms & Conditions of this service. This form is available on the webpage and can be emailed to the provider if they have not signed it prior to making their first consultation request.
Participating providers
- Wish to seek tele-behavioral health consultation from the expert team
- Will agree to data reporting requests required by the project – these occur two times per year and generally involve completing a brief survey (less than 10 minutes); and
- Will agree to limited requests to participate in training and technical assistance with the project.
The UNMC Tele-Behavioral Health Consultation Team (TBHC) is not an emergency/referral service. Emergency consultations over the phone or via synchronous audio/video teleconference are not provided. If a PCP contacts the team about a case requiring an emergency intervention, we will attempt to offer more appropriate resources.
TBHC Team members do not prescribe medication or provide ongoing treatment, but rather support PCPs as they provide care. For those cases beyond the scope of the PCP, the Consultation Team will offer referrals to local or regional clinicians.
We strive to provide consultations efficiently and effectively. The consultation request form includes questions about how you prefer to be contacted. Please provide the best method for contacting you (e.g., cell phone, email, office phone number) and any requests regarding a preferred time or day to be contacted.
Please have the following information ready during your consultation:
- Patient’s age
- Psychiatric, developmental and social history
- Relevant medical/surgical information
- Current and past psychotropic medications
- Family psychiatric history
- Safety/risk concerns
The more background information you are able to provide, the better consultative guidance the Team can provide.
Thank you in advance for your preparation.
Screening
US Preventive Task Force Recommendations for PCPs
AAP Bright Futures List of Developmental, Behavioral, and Psychosocial Screening Tools
AAP Screening Technical Assistance and Resource (STAR) Center
Diagnosis
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) Practice Parameters
Practice Parameter for the Assessment and Management of Youth Involved With the Child Welfare System