Provider Resource Highlight: NC Psychiatric Access Line (NC-PAL)

NC-PAL is a free telephone consultation program to help health care providers address the behavioral health needs of their patients.

NC-PAL Behavioral Health Consultants can respond to questions about behavioral health and local resources, and can connect providers to an on-call psychiatrists to assist with diagnostic clarification and medication management questions.

While NC-PAL is not an emergency/crisis line, Behavioral Health Consultants can assist providers with:

• Consultation: Consultation on diagnoses, medications and psychotherapy interventions for a wide range of behavioral health needs (e.g. mental health care guides, screening forms)
• Connection: Connection with community resources (e.g. intensive in-home providers, support groups)
• Information: Information on government programs (e.g. enrolling families for WIC, CDSA, CC4C)
• Guidance: Guidance on behavioral health issues, autism spectrum disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities

NC-PAL is a free provider-to-provider service for enrolled providers. NC-PAL will not bill you or your patients for telephone consultation. Calling NC-PAL does not establish a physician / patient relationship with an individual patient.

Eligibility

Primary care providers in the state of North Carolina are invited to enroll in NC-PAL. This includes physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.

How to Enroll

Providers will be asked to sign a Provider Agreement form that outlines NC-PAL services and roles. To enroll, simply fill out the form.

Click to learn more about NC-PAL