Dr. Abdul-Haqq probed deeper and uncovered that Mia had been having these feelings for more than a year. At one point, she had climbed to the railing of a bridge and contemplated jumping.

Tragically, the story of Mia is not unique. Children and adolescents in the U.S. are in the midst of a mental health crisis; one in five have a diagnosable mental health condition. Just 20 percent of those children are receiving adequate care for their condition.

“For a lot of my patients, I’m all they have,” says Dr. Abdul-Haqq. In the area where Dr. Abdul-Haqq practices and Mia lives, there are no child and adolescent psychiatrists (CAPs). Only one adult psychiatrist is willing to see children, with a maximum of just four on their patient panel at a given time. This provider also does not accept Medicaid, further limiting who can receive care. 

Mia and her family were fortunate, because she happened to have a primary care provider who was skilled in delivering mental health care. For Dr. Abdul-Haqq, like most primary care providers, that was not always the case. Only a few years before Mia walked into her office, Dr. Abdul-Haqq completed REACH’s Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care (PPP) program. This training was where she learned how to administer the very screening tool she used to uncover Mia’s suicidal ideation. 

Mia is one of the 2.1 million children who has experienced the impact of a REACH-trained PCP. Dr. Abdul-Haqq completed the PPP and transformed her practice as a result. Through the program, she learned how to use evidence-based screening tools to diagnose mental health conditions and administer effective treatments. In addition, she learned to leverage other providers and community resources to ensure that the children she sees receive the support they need. 

The skills she gained from REACH were demonstrated during her visit with Mia. In assessing Mia, Dr. Abdul-Haqq found that she did not meet diagnostic criteria for major depression. Rather, she suffered from severe anxiety. “Before REACH, I thought only patients with depression were at risk of suicide,” says Dr. Abdul-Haqq. “But I learned that anxiety can also bring suicidal thoughts.”

Dr. Abdul-Haqq worked with Mia and her mom to develop a safety plan and prescribed an anti-anxiety medication. Then, she connected her with a counselor in the community who provides cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). 

Today, Mia is doing so well that her pediatrician is weaning her off the anxiety medication.

“Mia is using her CBT skills,” Dr. Abdul-Haqq says. “She’s even teaching some CBT to her mother! She has been empowered by her treatment.”