The Youth CopeNYP Program: A Model for Brief, Evidence-Based Treatment in Pediatric Primary Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACTThe COVID-19 pandemic unfolded onto a preexisting national mental health crisis, resulting in significant increases in mental health problems among youth. Pediatric primary care practices subsequently faced an influx of families presenting for behavioral health concerns with few accessible options for evidence-based treatment. Youth CopeNYP was launched as a short-term, virtual intervention program using evidence-based principles offered to children, adolescents, and parents within the pediatric primary care setting. We describe the development and implementation of this service, including establishing a workforce, creating a referral workflow and handoff system with pediatricians, and developing a clinical manual using evidence-based practices. Adaptation from a crisis response service to a sustainable program to address the ongoing youth mental health crisis in pediatric primary care is discussed. Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).