Primary care and OB/GYN prescribers in the state of Michigan are invited to participate in the program.

There is no cost for accessing consultation and resources through the program. MC3 is funded by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) via general funds, Medicaid Administration funds, Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) funds and Flint Water Crisis funds.

MC3 is not an emergency/referral service. Emergency consultations over the phone or in person are not provided. If a PCP calls about a case requiring an emergency intervention, the Behavioral Health Consultant can offer appropriate resource recommendations.

U of M psychiatrists do not prescribe medication or provide ongoing treatment, but rather support PCPs as they provide care. For those cases beyond the scope of the PCP, the BHC and psychiatrist will offer referrals to local or regional resources.

MC3 consultation can be initiated by anyone delegated by the prescriber. A nurse, MA, or social worker can initiate the consult by phone or online. We do require, however, that when the psychiatrist calls back, that the prescriber takes the call. We do not want recommendations to go through a third party.

After the consultation, the BHC in your region will send a summary of your consultation via encrypted e-mail or fax, as well as any therapy/resources that were recommended.

You can consult as often as you like on any patients. The MC3 consulting psychiatrists are able to access previous consultations through a secure web-based platform to review and add to the past consultations.

As a consultation service, MC3 makes recommendations based on the information shared before and during the consultation. These recommendations can be used to develop a treatment plan in the context of the primary care provider’s clinical judgment and experiences with the patient and family, as well as knowledge of community services. Patient names and other identifying information are not exchanged as part of the clinical consultation. Patient initials and date of birth are collected to allow future reference for a repeat consultation about a patient.

Residents can sign-up to participate in MC3 consultation and education. All supervising physicians must be signed up for MC3 and approve the consultations. When a resident graduates, we ask that they contact MC3 to update our records.

Patients with behavioral health concerns are already being seen by their primary care practices. In some studies, researchers have found that behavioral health concerns are the reason for up to 25% of pediatric primary care visits. PCPs prescribe 65% of psychotropic medication for youth and access to behavioral health care for families is limited. The risks of not treating behavioral health are high and can impact both short- and long-term outcomes. MC3 psychiatrists are available to offer guidance and will not pressure you into prescribing anything you are not comfortable with. Often times MC3 psychiatrists are weaning patients off medication and recommending evidence-based therapy in the community.

As part of their participation, providers will be asked to sign a Provider Agreement that outlines the program services and roles of primary care providers and consulting psychiatrists. You can sign up by clicking the button below.

Our program observes the following holidays:

• Independence Day (July 4, 2023)
• Labor Day (Sep. 4, 2023)
• Thanksgiving break (Nov. 23-24, 2023)
• Winter holidays (Dec. 25-29, 2023)
• New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2024)
• Memorial Day (May 27, 2024)