BCBS AZ Community Collective
Arizona continues to face significant challenges in providing timely, equitable mental health care for children and perinatal individuals—particularly in rural and underserved areas. The Arizona Pediatric and Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line (APAL) was developed to address these systemic gaps by supporting frontline providers and strengthening connections across the care continuum.
Join us when Dr. Saira Kalia, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona and director of APAL, shares the state of pediatric mental healthcare in Arizona and the assistance available from APAL for medical providers caring for children and adolescents.
This session will provide an update on the APAL program, highlighting how it has evolved to meet community needs, build provider capacity, and support mental health care delivery in hard-to-reach regions. The session will explore how APAL collaborates with local partners, improves access to culturally responsive care, and enhances care coordination for families statewide. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how APAL can serve as a resource in their daily work and how they can connect families to the support they need.
Learn about:
-The latest youth mental health data for Arizona
-How a shortage of pediatric psychiatrists is impacting child and adolescent mental healthcare
-Training and resources available to healthcare providers
Whether you are a provider or want to learn more about mental healthcare support resources for Arizona’s children, we hope you’ll join us on August 7!