What is OPPAL?

Paid sponsorship by Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

The Ohio Pediatric Psychiatry Access Line (OPPAL) is now accepting calls for consultations and enrollments from primary care professionals (PCPs). If you have not been connected with OPPAL, now is a great time to learn more about the consultation and enrollment process!

Read on for answers to frequently asked questions from callers.

• OPPAL is a free, peer-to-peer psychiatry consultation line for pediatric PCPs staffed by child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAPs).

• All consultations are provided by child and adolescent psychiatrists from an Ohio children’s hospital by calling OPPAL at 605.1511.
• OPPAL is staffed by rotating consultation teams five days a week (Monday – Friday) from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Initial calls to OPPAL will be answered by a member of the team who captures basic information about the case to be provided to the CAP. These team members may also provide resources or local community support options following the CAP consultation.
• The CAP will then return the call to provide a consultation within 30 minutes, unless the caller requests a different call back timeframe.
• Enrolled PCPs will also be able to electronically request a psychiatry consultation using the OPPAL PCP Portal.

• The same psychiatrists will frequently be providing consultations through OPPAL on the same day each week! Some children’s hospital teams have rotating psychiatrists, so we cannot guarantee you’ll be connected with the same psychiatrist you’ve previously spoken to. All psychiatrists have access to review previous consults of enrolled PCPs, to allow for a quick review to get psychiatrists caught up on previous discussions.
• The line will be staffed each weekday by children’s hospital teams using the following schedule:
  • Monday – Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
  • Tuesday – Dayton Children’s Hospital
  • Wednesday – Akron Children’s Hospital
  • Thursday – Nationwide Children’s Hospital
  • Friday – Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
• PCPs may call any day, even if the hospital answering the line is not in their region.
• Clinicians may also schedule a consult online through the OPPAL PCP Portal. In the triage notes section, clinicians may request to speak with the same consulting psychiatrist, if available.

• Consent from families is not required to call for an OPPAL consultation.
• No personal health information is collected by OPPAL team members.

• No, OPPAL is a free service for both clinicians and families in Ohio, regardless of the clinician’s organization or patient’s insurance status.

• Consultations provided by OPPAL are real-time teleconsultations to help PCPs in Ohio diagnose, treat, and manage behavioral health conditions in children and adolescents.
• Enrollment in OPPAL is a step that captures information on the clinic and clinicians from each site who will utilize OPPAL.
  • Advanced enrollment makes consultation calls more efficient, offers time to discuss questions with the OPPAL team, and allows clinicians to reference previous calls to OPPAL with any consultant on a future consultation.
  • Enrolled PCPs will be able to asynchronously request a psychiatry consultation using the OPPAL PCP Portal. PCPs can submit e-requests at the beginning or end of their clinic day and indicate a preferable time for the psychiatry consult call.
• Enrollment in OPPAL can be completed by calling 605.1511.
  • A member of the OPPAL team will capture details including practice name, address, and type (family practice, pediatrics, school-based etc.) and contact person (admin or clinician) email and phone number.

• No! PCPs in Ohio may call OPPAL at 605.1511 for a consultation and be enrolled during the same call.

• A patient screened at risk or almost at risk on an anxiety screener and I’m not sure how to proceed.
• A patient is having side-effects from a medication I prescribed, and I want to taper them off. I want to consult with a psychiatrist on a taper schedule.
• A caregiver asked for therapy recommendations, and I am not sure what is available within our community.
• I suspect a patient has a disorder, but I am not sure how to assess their symptoms or which questionnaires to use.
• Our clinic started seeing a new patient with OCD symptoms. I’ve never treated a patient with OCD, so I wanted to discuss treatment options with a psychiatrist.
• A patient is rapidly losing weight; I cannot pinpoint a medical reason for the weight loss and think it might be mental health related.
• I heard about a new medication that I could prescribe to my patients, but I want to discuss the application of the medication with a psychiatrist.
• Our clinic is implementing a new mental health screener, but I am not sure how to interpret the results and provide treatment options.
• I think my patient would benefit from a medication, but I am concerned about drug interactions or contraindications for what they have already been prescribed.

If you haven’t yet enrolled in OPPAL, please call 614.605.1511 to enroll. Enrolling prior to your first consultation request will allow for more prompt triaging of concerns and quicker follow up from the psychiatrist.

Learn more about OPPAL resources or send questions to OPPAL@odh.ohio.gov.

 

Funding Statement: The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided financial support for OPPAL. The award provided 41.8% of total costs and totaled $1,957,032. The contents are those of the author. They may not reflect the policies of HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.