Why pursue integrated behavioral care?

A few reasons why states, counties and individual primary care clinics should pursue integrated care:

• Because it is the right thing to do.
• Because many people in the broader community now receive their behavioral healthcare in a primary care setting, and the gap between medical and behavioral healthcare systems must be bridged.
• Because there is the opportunity for quality improvement of care within the primary care and specialty behavioral healthcare settings.
• Because many people being served by public behavioral health services need better access to primary care.
• Because community health centers serve people who need better access to behavioral healthcare.
• Because behavioral health clinicians are a resource for assisting people with all types of chronic health conditions.

taken from ‘Behavioral Health/Primary Care Models, Competencies and Infrastructure” by Barbara Mauer, May, 2003.