Poster 65 – Community Health Partner-Supported Engagement in Integrated Pediatric Primary Care for Low-Income Families of Youth with ADHD

There are numerous systemic barriers that impact access to and engagement in mental health care, particularly among children and families from marginalized backgrounds living in low-income, urban communities (Hodgkinson et al., 2017). Integration of behavioral health into pediatric primary care (IPC) provides an opportunity to increase access, and it is crucial to identify factors that promote engagement in care in these settings (Mautone et al., 2020). Involving community health partners (also called Patient Navigators, Community Health Workers among other names) is one strategy proposed to increase engagement and adherence to recommended therapy processes (Godoy et al., 2019). Partnering to Achieve School Success (PASS) is an enhanced behavioral parent training intervention for school-aged youth with ADHD delivered in IPC clinics, primarily in low-income, urban communities that has shown promise in improving caregiver and child outcomes (Power et al., 2010; Power et al., 2014). Utilizing a collaborative-care approach that includes a Community Health Partner (CHP) to promote engagement, PASS incorporates strategies to address symptoms and impairment of ADHD, associated trauma and stress, cultural humility, and family motivation. The CHP has regular phone and text contact with families to promote attendance and adherence, troubleshoot barriers, and connect families with community resources, as needed. We will describe the content (e.g., topics covered) and process (e.g., use of empathy) of CHP encounters with families to identify facilitators of intervention engagement (i.e., attendance, show rate, satisfaction). Thus far, CHPs have worked with 68 families (76% Black) of low-income status (60% <$40,000 annual income). Preliminary evidence supports an association between number of CHP contacts and engagement in PASS. This presentation will provide a systematic description of CHP encounters and the impact on intervention engagement. We will discuss strategies to facilitate family engagement in pediatric IPC services in urban settings.