What is the Arizona Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line (A-PAL)?
APAL is a telephone access line that helps front-line healthcare providers in Arizona – such as OB/GYNs, primary care, pediatricians, family medicine doctors, PAs, and nurses – identify and address the mental health and/or substance use concerns of their pregnant and postpartum patients.
When medical providers call our toll-free number, they are connected with a perinatal psychiatrist who will help determine the best next steps for treatment.
If you work for a clinic or system that sees a lot of perinatal patients, we will also be offering free online trainings.
APAL is for healthcare providers in Arizona - of all fields, in any setting - with questions about how to about how to address the mental health and/or substance use concerns of a pregnant or postpartum women.
Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Excluding national holidays (see specific dates here):
- New Year's Day: Jan. 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- Memorial Day
- Juneteenth
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Veteran's Day
- Thanksgiving & day after
- Christmas Eve & Day
- Winter Closure
There is no cost to utilize these services due to a grant from the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS). You are welcome to put in a collaborative care code to be reimbursed for your own time.
One of our Clinical Navigators takes the initial call to collect some demographic data and to ensure that the patient is not facing a psychiatric emergency. The Clinical Navigator then connects the provider with a perinatal psychiatrist. The psychiatrist consults with the provider and gives treatment recommendations. Subsequently, the provider is transferred back to the Clinical Navigator who will help with additional resources as needed.
We hope this will not happen often, but if it does, there are three options:
- Leave a callback number and you will be contacted at next availability.
- If your time is less flexible, you can leave a brief message with a phone number and the best time window (ie: 12-1 p.m.) to be called back.
- Schedule a consultation.
We email treatment recommendations and resources to the provider.
No, all initial contact for case consultation must be made through the A-PAL phone line.
Yes! Please see our resources page for providers and our resources page for patients and families.
Absolutely. Please visit our trainings page to request a training on perinatal mental health.