Program Offers Rapid Access to Mental Health Care for Columbia Employees Becoming New Parents

Welcoming a new child is a transitional time for families. New sleep schedules, additional stress and responsibility, changing relationships, and physical and hormonal changes can be highly challenging, and for parents who have preexisting mental health struggles, the changes can be overwhelming.

A pilot program from the Department of Psychiatry at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons is helping new parents and soon-to-be parents quickly get the mental health care they need. The Perinatal Rapid Access Model (PRAM) offers quick access to psychiatric and psychological evaluations for people who are pregnant, new parents—including those who become parents through adoption or surrogacy—or individuals who have recently experienced a pregnancy loss. During its six-month pilot phase, the program is available exclusively to Columbia University medical plan participants and their covered partners. PRAM offers up to three appointments with psychiatrists or psychologists and will coordinate referrals for ongoing care if needed.

Pregnancy and new parenthood are known to be high-risk times for mental health, but these populations are traditionally underserved. Patients’ needs during this busy and stressful time may not be obvious to health care providers, and those professionals may not have the training to spot signs of a mental health crisis or be able to manage psychiatric medications during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

One of the primary goals of PRAM is to reduce barriers to accessing mental health care, including reducing wait times for seeing a provider, says Bridget King, an instructor in psychiatry and the project lead for PRAM.

“There are so many barriers to accessing mental health care in general, but especially perinatal mental health care,” King says. “The overall goal of the program is to reduce those barriers, starting with our Columbia population, and help people get the care they need.”

Providers in PRAM are specialists in reproductive psychiatry and psychology and can address a wide range of issues, including depression, anxiety, and psychiatric medication management. PRAM also provides guidance on treatments and practices to support mental health and emotional well-being. New patients do not need any documented history of mental health treatment to participate in the program.

“We often see new parents looking for a sounding board—an expert clinician who can assess if what they're experiencing is entirely expected, or if they would benefit from treatment,” says Emily Kautz, program manager in the Department of Psychiatry who oversees intake for PRAM.

“Psychiatry is notoriously difficult to access and navigate for patients,” Kautz says. “Across New York, I hear time and time again from patients who have called many different clinics and receive little to no response: They aren’t taking new patients, they don't take their insurance, or they don't offer the type of care that’s needed. We’ve created a novel model that offers ease of access, where patients aren’t met with barriers to get care, and they can be seen quickly.”