The Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program for Early Childhood: Implementation and Preliminary Usage Data

The Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program for Early Childhood (MCPAP-EC) helps pediatric primary care clinicians address mental health concerns of children under 6 years old. Launched in 2022 and expanded statewide by 2024, the program offers developmentally sensitive consultation and multisession evaluations by using the DC:0-5: Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood framework. From July 2021 (the start of the fiscal year, with funding beginning in October 2021) to June 2025, the program served 1,469 children under 6 across Massachusetts. Most encounters involved diagnostic assessment or parent guidance, with psychosocial care emphasized over medication treatment. MCPAP-EC demonstrates a feasible model for integrating early childhood mental health into primary care. Continued evaluation will inform future improvements and broader implementation.