Evaluation of the Mental Health Referral Process for African American Adolescent Patients Within a Primary Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Project.

INTRODUCTION: Mental health disorders affect 18% of the U.S. POPULATION: Problems with access to mental health care for the African American community are multifactorial. Provider and staff perceptions and opinions regarding factors attributing to problems with mental health access are explored. METHOD: Providers and staff (N=10) completed a 26-item electronic questionnaire RESULTS: The primary barriers to screening, consultation, and follow-through were time constraints, location of services, and lack of parental support, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating behavioral health into primary care is a promising way to address many reported barriers, such as time restraints, social stigma, and lack of resources.