2019 Awareness Day Final Report 2019_ADay_FinaReport_FINAL_pages | Page 14

27
+
MILLION
PATIENTS SERVED
In 2017, HRSA’s Health Center Program served more than
27 million patients in more than 11,000 health care delivery sites
in medically underserved areas across the country, of which
approximately 90 percent provided mental health services.
SUICIDE PREVENTION
IN PRIMARY CARE
“While there is no single cause of suicide, we at HRSA have seen
firsthand how factors such as social isolation and lack of access to
behavioral health care can put everyone, including youth, at greater
risk for suicide.”
— AARON LOPATA, M.D., M.P.P.
Chief Medical Officer of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at the
Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS
At the Awareness Day event, Aaron Lopata shared about
the importance of integrated health solutions in suicide
prevention. In particular, he highlighted the importance
of primary–mental health integration in these efforts.
As Lopata explained, the most effective way to prevent
suicide is through a comprehensive and integrated
approach. Debbie Shroyer, a family leader mentioned
earlier in this report, recalled that she first reached
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2019
out to her family doctor for help with her daughter’s
depression. Shroyer’s family was then introduced to an in-
house treatment program, followed by the Egyptian Health
Department’s Project Connect.
Shroyer’s story is far from unique. For many, primary care is
the starting point for all health issues, mental or physical—
which is why integration between these two systems is so
crucial to preventing suicide and improving overall wellness.
Consistent with the goal of greater integration, HRSA funds
the Pediatric Mental Health Care Access (PMHCA) Program to
promote the integration of mental health care into pediatric
primary care.
PMHCA awards grants to state and regional networks
of pediatric mental health teams to provide telehealth
consultations, training, technical assistance, and care
coordination for pediatric primary care providers to
diagnose, treat, and refer children with mental health
conditions. While the program is only in its first year, states