About Us

The CHild Access to Mental Health and Psychiatry service, known as CHAMP, is a consultation and educational service for pediatric primary care providers in Mississippi.

UMMC’s Department of Psychiatry, in conjunction with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, has received a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to provide free and same-day telephone consultations to pediatric primary care providers in Mississippi. These consultations are offered with an educational focus and are performed primarily by UMMC child psychiatrists and child psychologists.

The CHAMP team supports primary care providers (doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants) with questions about mental health care such as diagnostic clarification, medication adjustment, or treatment planning. We will measure our success by primary care providers’ increased confidence in their ability to treat mental health issues and the improved mental health of Mississippi children. The CHAMP team hopes to enroll pediatric primary care providers as collaborative team members who are willing to work with us in a consultation model of care. The CHAMP team operates out of the Center for the Advancement of Youth Clinic (CAY) in Jackson. CHAMP partners with Families as Allies, a statewide organization run by and for families of children with behavioral challenges, to provide direct support to families, to support providers in partnering with families, and to ensure the project is implemented and sustained in ways that work best for children and families.