- Primary care providers across Michigan may enroll in the MC3 program at no cost
- PCPs prescribe over 80% of all psychotropic medications for youth
- Psychiatric consultants offer guidance to providers on diagnostic questions, medication recommendations, and appropriate psychotherapy through same-day phone consultations
3 Things To Remember
Content provided by the Michigan Child Care Collaborative (MC3) program
What is the Michigan Child Care Collaborative (MC3) Program?
The MC3 program offers psychiatry support to primary care providers in Michigan who are managing patients with behavioral health problems. This includes children, adolescents, young adults through age 26. Seventy-five percent to 80% of children and youth in need of behavioral health services do not receive them. MC3 for Moms offer psychiatry support to perinatal providers caring for women who are contemplating pregnancy, pregnant or postpartum up to one year (MC3 for Moms).
Psychiatrists are available through same-day phone consultations to offer guidance on:
- diagnostic questions
- medication recommendations
- appropriate psychotherapy
Your local MC3 Behavioral Health Consultant is also available to provide recommendations for local resources.
How Does It Work?
Only one phone call is necessary to get the process started. Here are the simple steps:
1) The treating provider or clinic designee initiates a call to the Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC), a master’s-level mental health professional based locally.
2) The BHC triages the referral, responds to any questions that are within the scope of his/her expertise, and forwards appropriate cases to the MC3 psychiatrist for same-day phone consultation. In cases that are deemed urgent, the BHC will suggest local resources for referral.
3) Upon completion of the consultation between the psychiatrist and treating provider, a written summary of the consultation is sent to the provider along with local resources. In select regions, telepsychiatry evaluations may be available as an additional resource.
Phone availability for University of Michigan psychiatrists and local BHCs is Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding holidays. Extended evening hours on Mondays until 7:00 pm.
Who Can Participate?
Primary care providers across the state are eligible to participate in the free MC3 program. As part of their participation, they will be asked to complete a very brief Provider Agreement that outlines program services and respective responsibilities. As an additional educational resource, participating primary care providers will be able to use the MC3 website to access recommended practices for treatment of common behavioral health issues through live webinars and pre-recorded educational videos. These online learning opportunities typically offer CMEs to the physician.
What is NOT Included
MC3 is not an emergency service. Emergency consultations over the phone or in person are not provided. If a primary care provider calls about a case requiring an urgent intervention, the behavioral health consultant can offer appropriate resource recommendations.
The U of M psychiatrists do not prescribe medication or provide ongoing treatment, but rather support primary care providers as they provide care. For those cases beyond the scope of the provider, the behavioral health consultant will offer referrals to local or regional clinicians.
For more information, visit mc3.depressioncenter.org, email the program at [email protected], or phone us at 734-474-0078.
