Strengthening Care and Combating Burnout Through the Adult Psychiatric Access Line

Описание: In this episode of the JoyMed Podcast, host Melina Davis sits down with Catherine Ford, Program Director of HealthHaven’s Adult Psychiatric Access Line at the Medical Society of Virginia, for an inspiring and solutions-focused conversation about expanding access to behavioral health care across Virginia.

Catherine shares her journey from government affairs and legislative advocacy into program leadership at MSV, where she now helps lead one of the Commonwealth’s most innovative mental health initiatives. Together, Melina and Catherine explore how MSV’s advocacy and policy work connects directly with its foundation programs to break down barriers in patient care.

At the heart of the discussion is HealthHaven’s Adult Psychiatric Access Line (APAL) — a free, statewide resource designed specifically for prescribing providers in Virginia. Through this program, primary care clinicians can receive:

Rapid consultation (within 30 minutes) from psychiatrists and addiction medicine specialists

Support from licensed mental health professionals

Peer recovery specialist guidance

Care navigation to help patients access services faster

Continuing medical education to build long-term confidence and clinical skill

They also discuss how this adult program builds on the success of the Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP) for pediatric patients, expanding the model to serve adults and strengthen the continuum of care for families across the Commonwealth.

This conversation highlights:

The growing mental health workforce challenges in Virginia

The burden of burnout and decision fatigue on primary care providers

Why provider-to-provider consultation improves both patient outcomes and clinician well-being

How state partnerships and legislative support are driving innovation

What scalable, relationship-based solutions could look like nationwide