Washington Partnership Access Line

What is the Washington Partnership Access Line?

The Partnership Access Line (PAL) supports primary care providers (doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants) with questions about mental health care such as diagnostic clarification, medication adjustment or treatment planning. Our child and adolescent psychiatrists are available to consult during business hours.

PAL has a master’s-level social worker available to assist with finding mental health resources for your patients. PAL is also partnered with Washington’s Mental Health Referral Service for Children and Teens, where families can speak directly with a referral specialist.

The PAL program is funded by Washington’s Health Care Authority and is available to providers caring for any patient in Washington, regardless of insurance type. The phone consultation is covered by HIPAA, section 45 CFR 164.506; no additional release of patient information is required to consult by phone.

Contact

Call 866-599-7257 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific time, to be directly connected to a PAL child and adolescent psychiatrist.

Provider Resources

  • PAL publishes Primary Care Principles for Child Mental Health yearly. This guide is based on current evidence in the literature about mental health treatments in children. It is a digestion of current knowledge into focused practical points for the primary care physician.
  • Providers can earn CME by attending our mental health conferences free of charge.
  • Programs offered in partnership with the University of Washington:
    • Perinatal Psychiatry Consultation Line for Providers: PAL for Moms is a free state-funded program providing perinatal mental health consultation, recommendations and referrals for providers in Washington State caring for pregnant or postpartum patients.
    • Psychiatry Consultation Line (PCL): The PCL offers prescribing health care providers in Washington State the opportunity to consult with a UW Psychiatrist about adult patients (18+) with mental health issues or regarding general questions related to mental health and psychiatric care.

Medication Review Program

Second-opinion medication reviews are requested from the state when psychiatric medication is prescribed outside of state guidelines. A review will be triggered for:

  • Children receiving 2 or more atypical antipsychotics (AAPs)
  • Children age 5 or younger receiving psychotropic medications
  • Children receiving 5 or more psychotropic medications
  • High doses (ADHD, AAPs, antipsychotics)

It is important to note that Seattle Children’s Hospital psychiatrists are one step in the state-mandated medication review process. We do not set state guidelines or flag specific medications, but we do believe in the value of peer review and provider-to-provider collaboration. Please contact us if you have questions at 206-987-2702 or by email.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can families call the PAL line?

    No. The PAL line is designed to be a consult service to support primary care providers (PCPs) as they manage the care of their patients. Families can, however, contact Washington’s Mental Health Referral Service for Children and Teens, a free service connecting families with mental health providers.  

  • Do I need to get my patient’s consent before calling PAL?

    No, you do not need patient authorization or consent to call PAL. This is due to the following:

    • No bill or payment is collected for a PAL call. Therefore, no financial consent is needed.
    • Provider-to-provider consultation is covered within the boundaries of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
  • Is it appropriate to call PAL when my patient is in crisis?

    If your patient is currently in crisis, call 911. If your patient is not in imminent danger, our PAL consultants are available to discuss best practices for treatment and support.

  • Can the PAL line help get my patient admitted to Seattle Children’s?

    PAL cannot expedite or change the admitting process for Seattle Children’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Program, despite our affiliation with the hospital. 

  • For which holidays will PAL be closed?

    PAL will be closed the following days in 2023:  

    • New Year's Day - Observed Date Monday, January 2
    • Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Monday, January 16
    • Presidents' Day - Monday, February 20
    • Memorial Day - Monday, May 29
    • Juneteenth - Monday, June 19
    • Independence Day - Tuesday, July 4
    • Labor Day - Monday, September 4
    • Veterans' Day - Friday, November 10
    • Thanksgiving - Thursday, November 23
    • Christmas Day - Monday, December 25
  • Can schools call the PAL line?

    School district employees should email PAL for Schools for more information.

    PAL for Schools connects school staff and students to psychologists and psychiatrists at Seattle Children’s and the University of Washington. Currently, the program is contracted with the Sumner–Bonney Lake School District and the Medical Lake School District. Information regarding program expansion to additional school districts will be available soon.