The Washington Partnership Access Line (WAPAL) is a statewide access line, staffed M-F 8AM-5PM, prioritizing live answer/direct connections to child psychiatrists from Seattle Children's/University of Washington. Any state primary care provider can call, without formal enrollment, about any youth in their care. Services include telephone consults, community resource identification, an option for tele-video assessments, four times a year provider CME events, and a freely distributed Care Guide for primary care mental health service delivery including rating scales and parent handouts. Other offerings include therapist trainings in brief behavioral therapies, school consult services, and a statewide child mental health referral service for parents to call themselves.

Washington’s Health Care Authority (HCA) has contracted with KidsVax, LLC, who acts as the third-party administrator to calculate and administer the WAPAL Fund assessments. These assessments will provide sustainable funding for PAL services to ensure costs are equitably distributed among payers and Washingtonians continue to receive the behavioral health care they need.

Learn more about the program at http://seattlechildrens.org/PAL.