Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care

Integrated care incorporates behavioral and physical health services into primary care and specialty medical environments. Integrated care models are patient-centered; delivered by teams of medical professionals, utilize care coordination, and a population-based approach. This book is practical, office-based, and comfortably accessible to students, residents, faculty, and all mental health professionals, primary care and medical specialists. We examine and recommend applying collaborative care and other existing models of integrated care based on existing literature. When there is no literature supporting a specific approach, our experts offer their ideas and take an aspirational approach about how to manage and treat specific behavioral disorder or problems We assume the use of integrated team staffing including a primary care or specialist provider(s), front desk staff, medical assistant(s), nurse(s), nurse practitioners, behavioral health specialist(s), health coaches, consulting psychiatrist, and care coordinator(s)/manager(s).