University of Idaho Launches Pediatric Psychiatry Line
A $1.2 million federal grant will fund a statewide consultation line connecting pediatric providers with child psychiatrists.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Children’s Health
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The University of Idaho received $1.2 million in federal funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program to establish the Idaho Pediatric Psychiatry Access Line (ID-PPAL). The statewide program will connect pediatric healthcare providers with child and adolescent psychiatrists.
Why it matters
Idaho is the only state without a pediatric psychiatry access line, and families may currently wait six to 12 months for child psychiatric appointments. Primary care providers have become the front line for pediatric behavioral health because there are not enough child psychiatrists.
The $1.2 million federal award is the sole funding figure reported for the program. Families currently face six to 12 month waits for child psychiatric appointments, but the source does not report how many providers will use the line once it launches.
The players
University of Idaho
A public land-grant university in Moscow, Idaho, whose School of Health and Medical Professions developed the program.
The details
ID-PPAL will offer psychiatric consultation, clinical resources, and provider training, and will be staffed by Idaho-based child and adolescent psychiatrists. The University of Idaho's School of Health and Medical Professions developed the program, and its ECHO Idaho program will offer free virtual continuing education.
Timeline
November 11, 2026: University of Idaho announces $1.2 million federal funding award.
Big Picture
The award is funded through the Rural Health Transformation Program, which directs federal dollars toward rural health care delivery. ID-PPAL applies that rural focus to pediatric mental health access in a state with no comparable line.
Families in Idaho who struggle to get timely child psychiatric appointments may gain a route to psychiatric guidance through their child's primary care provider. Parents should still expect that direct appointments with specialists may take time while the program launches.
The takeaway
Pediatric behavioral health access in Idaho may improve as primary care providers gain direct consultation with child psychiatrists. Families facing long waits should ask their child's doctor whether this resource is available to them.
Further reading
Explore more on Children's Health for context on pediatric care access across the state.
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