Integrated Behavioral Health/Primary Care
Integrated Behavioral Health/Primary Care programs have an
identified level of medical supervision and are supported by an “any door is a
good door” philosophy. These programs allow for choice and are capable of
assessing the various medical and behavioral needs of persons served in an
integrated manner. Pro-grams demonstrate competency to identify and treat
behavioral health concerns, such as mental illness and substance use disorders,
and general medical or physical concerns in an integrated manner. Integration
is the extent to which care is coordinated across persons, functions, activities,
and sites over time to maximize the value of services delivered to persons
served. Programs may also serve persons who have intellectual or other
developmental disabilities and medical needs, or those who are at risk for or
exhibiting behavioral disorders.
Models may include, but are not limited to, the following:
contractual, where two separate, legal entities enter into an agreement to
staff and operate a single program either at a location specifically identified
for the provision of integrated care or located within another institution
(such as a school-based health center); a distinct, integrated program located
within a larger entity such as a Veterans Health Administration campus; the
colocating of complementary disciplines such as the placement of behavioral
staff in a primary care setting (as in a federally qualified health center) or
primary care staff in a community mental health center; or a single
organization that incorporates both behavioral health and primary care services
into an integrated model. Although most integrated models focus on primary
care, the standards could also be applied to an integrated system located in
specialty care settings such as Ob-Gyn and HIV.