(NEWS CENTER) - Emotional and mental health issues can be crippling for children.

According to estimates by the U.S. Surgeon General's office, 8-13% of kids in Maine suffer from those disorders, yet nearly 75% of these young people do not receive treatment.

Part of the problem in finding treatment for these kids is a shortage of access to psychiatrists who focus on the youth.

One program, the Child Psychiatry Access Program, seeks to address that issue, but it is facing problems of its own.

NEWS CENTER speaks with the Physician Leader of CPAP, Dr. Sandra Fritsch.

She says CPAP offers outreach programs for general care physicians. Psychiatrists in the program help those doctors and the families of the children they treat deal with any of a number of psychiatric issues, from the toddler who won't stop saying "no" to teens with suicidal thoughts.

But funding is an issue. The grant that kick-started the program has run out and now they rely on philanthropic support.

Beyond financial issues, finding and training doctors can prove to be a hassle.

NEWS CENTER