In late March, the Arizona Psychiatry Access Lines (APAL) received a stop work order due to our SAMHSA Mental Health Block Grant COVID funding being pulled. In the face of this uncertainty, our team rallied with extraordinary resolve – and we were not alone.
On behalf of the APAL team and our partners, I write this with a renewed sense of hope and momentum. A temporary restraining order from the federal court has reinstated our source funding for APAL, allowing us to stabilize operations – at least for now.
The past eight weeks have been among the most challenging in our program’s history. With funding abruptly withdrawn, we braced for the worst: program closures, FTE reductions, and the loss of essential staff. We are profoundly grateful to the partners, colleagues, and advocates who stood by us during this time. Your encouragement, advocacy, and belief in our mission sustained us when we needed it most.
Together in this short time we raised $108,000 in emergency support for the Perinatal Psychiatry Access Line and $80,000 for the Pediatric Line. We restructured two existing grants and submitted several new proposals – all in service of preserving this critical lifeline for providers across Arizona.
On the pediatric side, we are especially proud to welcome Peter Kowalski, MD, to the team and deeply grateful for the volunteer service of Taniya Pradhan, MD. Their contributions helped keep us afloat and reflect the steadfast commitment of Arizona’s child psychiatry community.
While the landscape ahead remains uncertain, this moment reminds us of what is possible when purpose drives action. We are not rebuilding from scratch – we are rebuilding from strength, resolve, and the unwavering support of a community that believes in the importance of expert and timely psychiatric consultations for Arizona’s providers and families.
We move forward with hard-earned clarity, profound gratitude, and a renewed commitment to the mission we share.
With deep appreciation,
APAL Director Saira Kalia, MD