RALEIGH — A new national report praises North Carolina for its collaborative approach to children’s mental health services.

The report, released this week by researchers at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., singles out an initiative involving state Medicaid officials who worked with pediatricians, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals to develop a method for sharing patient data.

The arrangement, which allows Medicaid to pay providers directly for children’s mental health care, was cited as a successful blend of “private sector practice with public sector payment policies.”

The change both streamlines funding and strengthens services to children, according to the report.

Researchers from George Washington University’s Center for Health and Health Care in Schools presented their paper Wednesday at the 26th Annual Children’s Mental Health Research and Policy Conference in Tampa.