From Sheila Marcus, MD, MC3 Pediatrics Director:

To our provider network,

We are sad that we need to share information and resources about how to support children and adolescents in the aftermath of the Oxford High School shooting. These resources may be useful for families that you are treating. A school shooting in Oakland County will certainly be a source of grave worry in SE Michigan, as well as intense grief for those directly impacted. It occurs during a period of time in which all of us are already struggling with high stress levels, and so will be very challenging for teens and families. Please let us know if we can be of additional help to any of you or your families at this time. 

From Sheila Marcus, MD, MC3 Pediatrics Director:

Earlier this week, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), and the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) declared a National State of Emergency in Children’s Mental Health. In the statement, they wrote:

“This worsening crisis in child and adolescent mental health is inextricably tied to the stress brought on by COVID-19 and the ongoing struggle for racial justice and represents an acceleration of trends observed prior to 2020. Rates of childhood mental health concerns and suicide rose steadily between 2010 and 2020 and by 2018 suicide was the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-24.”

You can read the full statement here. 

All of us are very aware that this crisis has impacted Michigan children and adolescents and those who care for them. Emergency rooms around the state are beyond capacity and psychiatric beds are in short supply. Wait times for ambulatory services have never been longer. 

To the providers enrolled in MC3, we want to remind you that we are here to help you treat your patients with mental and behavioral health concerns. You can request a same-day consultation from one of our psychiatrists by phone or online at any time. Additionally, we offer the following:

• Telepsychiatry patient evaluations
• Live and remote trainings offered regionally and statewide
• Workflow analysis to better integrate screening, care coordination, and MC3 services
• Local and regional behavioral health resource and referral navigation
• Scheduled educational group case consultation with MC3 psychiatrist

Thank you for the important work you are doing for your patients. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at any time with questions. We are here to help.

Sheila Marcus, M.D.
MC3 Pediatrics Director

We are pleased to introduce our newest Consulting Psychiatrist, Dr. Natalie Prohaska! Dr. Prohaska is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Michigan Medicine and is also the Medical Director of the Comprehensive Eating Disorders Program at C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital. She is an expert in treating eating disorders and is now available to provide consultations to our providers who are treating patients experiencing disordered eating.

We are pleased to offer a new way for you to submit a request for consultation: a secure online form.