Youth Telepsychiatry

The Division of Care and Treatment Services is seeking applications for hospitals and clinics providing behavioral health care to expand telepsychiatry services for pediatric, child, and adolescent patients.

Telehealth has served as a cornerstone of outpatient health care since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has helped to maintain continuity of care and the patient-provider relationship. Telehealth can also fill gaps in access to behavioral health care caused by a shortage of mental health providers.

In the 2019 Wisconsin Behavioral Health Gaps Report , psychiatrists and psychiatric prescribers were the most common workforce gap identified in mental health in Wisconsin. Child and adolescent psychiatrist were cited as a critical workforce shortage in Wisconsin, more acute than psychiatrists generally.

The funds available through this funding opportunity may be used to purchase and support the technology needed to provide telepsychiatry services. The funds may also be used to recruit and retain psychiatrists and psychiatric prescribers who serve pediatric, child, and adolescent patients.

Eligible applicants

Nonprofit and for-profit hospitals, clinics, or health systems located in Wisconsin providing services to pediatric, child, and adolescent patients.

Preference will be given to provider-community partner applications that demonstrate the ability to improve access to telepsychiatry for pediatric, child, and adolescent patients who are uninsured or enrolled in Medicaid.

Eligibility requirements are mandatory as of the date the applicant applies.

Application deadline

September 19, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.

Estimated number of awards

Up to two awards

Estimated award amount(s)

Approximately $180,470 per recipient

Anticipated length of funding opportunity

One year

Anticipated contract dates

October 1, 2025-September 30, 2026

Total funding available

$360,941

Funding source

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319)

Match requirement

None

Award/denial notification timeline

October 20, 2025 (estimated)

Award statement

Award(s) will be made to responsive and responsible applicant(s) that:

• Attains the highest scored application.
• Best meets the needs of the population of focus.
• Best meets the needs of the people within the state, as determined by DHS.

Application requirements

Applications must include responses to the statements in the narrative response section below. There is a five-page narrative response maximum. Any information after the page limit will not be read, reviewed, nor scored for this funding opportunity.

Applications must also include the following additional documents:

• IRS Form W-9 (PDF) .
• DCTS Summary Line item Budget: Condensed, F-01601C (Excel) , outlining the costs for the first year.

These additional documents do not count toward the five-page narrative response page limit.

Applications are read, reviewed, and scored by an evaluation team using the 100-point scale listed below. For sections with a higher point value, more detail in the response may be needed.

• Program design: 30 points
• Capacity: 30 points
• Experience and knowledge: 20 points
• Sustainability: 15 points
• Required documents: 5 points

Narrative response

The narrative response describes how you will address the purpose of this funding opportunity. The narrative response must:

• Use a page size of 8.5” x 11”
• Use a font size no smaller than 11-point

The narrative response is a required component of your application. It must be organized into the following sections.

Reporting requirements

Recipients of this funding are required to following all reporting requirements defined by DHS, including:

• Performance reporting no later than 30 days past mid-point of the contract period, and no later than 30 days past the contract end date.
• Expense reporting forms submitted monthly in a format approved by DHS.

Application submission

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. September 19, 2025.

Applications must include the narrative response and the additional documents outlined in the application requirements section.

By submitting an application, the applicant acknowledges the statements on the Grant Funding Opportunities: Legal Definitions and Requirements page .

Submit applications to DHSDCTSBPTRFundingOpportunities@dhs.wisconsin.gov with the subject line Youth Telepsychiatry.

Questions

Submit questions regarding this funding opportunity to DHSDCTSBPTRFundingOpportunities@dhs.wisconsin.gov with the subject line Youth Telepsychiatry. Questions are due by August 15, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.. Answers to submitted questions will be posted here on or around August 29, 2025.