Only 1 child psychiatrist available per 1,000 at-risk youth in Philadelphia.

Currently, Cagande and her team at CHOP are collaborating with Girard College, a preparatory school in the Sharswood neighborhood, to offer clinical services to students in grades 1 through 12. They are also working on establishing similar partnerships with other local schools in the area. Cagande emphasizes the importance of primary care physicians in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and improving access to care, especially in light of the shortage of child psychiatrists.

Despite the pressing need for more professionals in the field, Cagande acknowledges that significant changes won’t occur until medical institutions incentivize more students to pursue the additional training required to work with children with mental and behavioral health disorders. While other medical specialties face similar barriers, psychiatry presents its own unique challenges. Traditionally, mental health has not received the same level of attention as physical health, leading many medical students to initially overlook psychiatry as a career choice.

Moreover, the difficulty in obtaining reimbursement for mental health services serves as another deterrent for aspiring child psychiatrists. Cagande notes that mental health care providers often face disparities in reimbursement compared to other medical services, despite the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act that was passed in 2008. The lack of effective implementation of this legislation discourages potential professionals from entering the field of child psychiatry.