JACKSON, Miss. — Two Mississippi groups are teaming up to create a network to help breakdown the walls between medical and mental health care for Mississippi children.
The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and the Mississippi Children’s Home Service announced the partnership Tuesday.
Organizers say the plan is to create one centralized assessment center in Jackson where pediatricians refer children with complicated medical or behavioral problems. Those children would then be sent to sites around the state for mental and behavioral counseling. UMMC would use video conferencing to provide advice and consultations to pediatricians who are located outside of Jackson.
The groups are using a $5-million federal grant to create and promote the system; but they say it would have to pay for itself after that.
