Integrated Care for Kids (InCK)

A shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists in many communities leads to long waiting lists and varying acuity concerns, forcing primary care physicians to manage complex mental health challenges for children.

Our embedded licensed and registered integrated care therapists, integrated care coordinator and child and adolescent psychiatry faculty and fellows help pediatric primary care clinicians provide quality mental health care in a timely manner.

Our goal is to provide “the right care at the right place at the right time.” We serve more than 1,000 families a year, ensuring increased access to quality mental health care.

Because we often interact with children and families early on in the course of their challenges, we place a significant emphasis on psychoeducation and family guidance.

Our collaboration with our pediatric primary care colleagues also focuses on education and training, helping them better treat mild to moderate mental health conditions.

Our program operates in two large pediatric primary care practices in the Western New York region — Tonawanda Pediatrics and Delaware Pediatrics. Additional support is provided by the Optimum Physician Alliance, a joint venture of Kaleida Health and HealthNow.

These practices serve as teaching sites for our child and adolescent psychiatry fellows to gain experience in collaborative care. Fellows can also engage in population health-focused quality improvement and research projects.