Operationalizing a Robust Integrated Care Team Model: A Case Study of One CHC’s Experience Amplifying Behavioral Health in Primary Care

Integrating behavioral health into the medical practice has many promising benefits including improved health outcomes and quality of care. But, it’s not as easy as it sounds. One health center will share its experience integrating behavioral health into its workflow. While the initial launch was successful, as time went on and volume increased, a number of underlying issues related to poor workflow surfaced which impacted the success of the program and employee retention. Long patient cycle times and disorganization caused significant frustration amongst staff and led to dissatisfied patients. Things turned around quickly once the organization focused on workflow and implemented rapid and intense changes. The changes resulted in the organization redefining what success looked like for integrated care, with an increased focus on care team (medical provider and behavioral health consultant) productivity and quality. Patient cycle times decreased from 68 minutes to 46 minutes and staff turnover decreased. Health center executives will share their challenges and successes integrating behavioral health into their medical practice as well as a step-by-step plan for what health centers can try to reach a truly integrated behavioral health model.