The Impact of Integrated Psychological Services in a Safety Net Primary Care Clinic on Medical Utilization

The integration of phychological and behavioral health services into safety net primary care clinics has been viewed as a step toward reducing disparities in mental health treatment and addressing behavioral factors in chronic diseases. Though it is posited that integrated behavioral health (IBI) reduces preventable medical costs, this premise has yet to be tested in a safety net primary care clinic. 

Where are social workers co-located with primary care physicians?

Social workers are increasingly working in primary care clinics that provide Integrated Behavioral Healthcare (IBH) in which a patient’s physical, behavioral, and social determinants of health are addressed on a collaborative team. Co-location, where care is housed in the same physical space, is a key element of IBH. Yet, little is known about the rate of social workers co-located with primary care physicians (PCPs). This study serves as a benchmark of the growth of IBH and continued monitoring of co-location is needed to ensure social work workforce planning and training are aligned with changing models of care. Further, identifying mechanisms to support social work education, current providers, and health systems to increase IBH implementation is greatly needed.

Enhanced Integrated Behavioral Health Model Improves Depressive Symptoms in a Low-Income, Uninsured, Primarily Hispanic Population Served by a Free and Charitable Clinic

Residents living in US-Mexico border communities have some of the worst health outcomes nationally. Rates of chronic disease such as obesity, diabetes, and related mortality in the Rio Grande Valley exceed those in most other regions of Texas and the nation. Poverty is pervasive, placing residents at high risk for poor health; they are more likely to be exposed to environmental hazards and have higher rates of chronic physical and mental health concerns.

At its foundation, integrated behavioral health care aims to address multiple health concerns, and related social determinants, by bringing behavioral health and primary care services together. No single model of integrated behavioral health care can be applied universally to health or social service settings; however, each approach is team-based and involves collaboration between multidisciplinary health and social service providers to achieve shared patient and community outcomes.

This randomized trial evaluated whether patients receiving enhanced integrated behavioral health ...

Addressing Common Challenges in the Implementation of Collaborative Care for Mental Health: The Penn Integrated Care Program

The purpose of this article was to develop and implement a new model of collaborative care that includes a triage and referral management system. The authors present initial implementation metrics using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework.  

The primary care behavioral health model (PCBH) and medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD): integrated models for primary care

Recent decades have witnessed increases in (a) integrated physical and behavioral health services and (b) the treatment of opioid use disorders (OUD) in primary care settings – also known as office-based opioid treatments (OBOT) – using a combination of medication and psychosocial support. Providing these services requires a workforce trained to address addiction’s psychosocial components and interventions addressing addiction’s biological and neurological mechanisms. This paper examines the implementation factors, clinic workflow and roles, and administrative considerations of two models of integrated care in order to identify ways of increasing treatment capacity and expanding OUD treatment uptake in integrated primary care settings.