Systematic Review of the Impact of Behavioral Health Homes on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors for Adults With Serious Mental Illness.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review examined the impact of health homes on cardiometabolic risk among adults with serious mental illness. METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses procedures were used to conduct the systematic review. Databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles published between 1946 and August 2018 that compared health homes with a control condition (e.g., usual care and secondary data analyses using matched samples). Participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes, and study design criteria were used to assess study eligibility. Studies were assessed for methodological quality by using the Quality Assessment of Before and After Studies With No Control Group and the Quality Assessment of Controlled Intervention Studies. RESULTS: Eighteen studies (i.e., 11 observational studies, four quasi-experimental studies, and three randomized controlled trials) reported on 17 health homes. Most studies reported increases in receipt of screening for cardiometabolic risk factors and service use. There was a modest reduction in selected cardiometabolic risk factors among people with serious mental illness, but clinical outcomes varied widely among studies. CONCLUSIONS: Improvement in cardiometabolic risk factors varied across the studies, and the clinical significance of these reductions was not clear. Peer support and self-management training may represent strategies to improve cardiometabolic risk factors. Colocation of services may not be enough to significantly affect cardiometabolic risk factors. Health homes that include standardized screening, peer support and self-management training, and intervention components that target interdependent risk factors may have a greater impact on clinical outcomes.

Legislative and Policy Developments and Imperatives for Advancing the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) Model.

The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) practice model continues to gain converts among primary care and behavioral health professionals as the evidence supporting its effectiveness continues to accumulate. Despite a growing number of practices and organizations using the model effectively, widespread implementation has been hampered by outmoded policies and regulatory barriers. As policymakers and legislators begin to recognize the contributions that PCBH model services make to the care of complex patients and the expansion of access to those in need of behavioral health interventions, some encouraging policy initiatives are emerging and the policy environment is becoming more favorable to implementation of the PCBH model. This article outlines the necessity for policy change, exposing the policy issues and barriers that serve to limit the practice of the PCBH model; highlights innovative approaches some states are taking to foster integrated practice; and discusses the compatibility of the PCBH model with the nation's health care reform agenda. Psychologists have emerged as leaders in the design and implementation of PCBH model integration and are encouraged to continue to advance the model through the demonstration of efficient and effective clinical practice, participation in the expansion of an appropriately trained workforce, and advocacy for the inclusion of this practice model in emerging healthcare systems and value-based payment methodologies.

The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) Model: An Overview and Operational Definition.

The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model is a prominent approach to the integration of behavioral health services into primary care settings. Implementation of the PCBH model has grown over the past two decades, yet research and training efforts have been slowed by inconsistent terminology and lack of a concise, operationalized definition of the model and its key components. This article provides the first concise operationalized definition of the PCBH model, developed from examination of multiple published resources and consultation with nationally recognized PCBH model experts. The definition frames the model as a team-based approach to managing biopsychosocial issues that present in primary care, with the over-arching goal of improving primary care in general. The article provides a description of the key components and strategies used in the model, the rationale for those strategies, a brief comparison of this model to other integration approaches, a focused summary of PCBH model outcomes, and an overview of common challenges to implementing the model.

Creating a Primary Care Workforce: Strategies for Leaders, Clinicians, and Nurses.

Many primary care clinics struggle with rapid implementation and systematic expansion of primary care behavioral health (PCBH) services. Often, an uneven course of program development is due to lack of attention to preparing clinic leadership, addressing operational factors, and training primary care providers (PCPs) and nurses. This article offers competency tools for clinic leaders, PCPs, and nurses to use in assessing their status and setting change targets. These tools were developed by researchers working to disseminate evidence-based interventions in primary care clinics that included fully integrated behavioral health consultants and were then used by early adaptors of the PCBH model. By deploying these strategies, both practicing and teaching clinics will take a big step forward in developing the primary care workforce needed for primary care teams, where the behavioral health needs of a patient of any age can be addressed at the time of need.

Toward a Unified Integration Approach: Uniting Diverse Primary Care Strategies Under the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) Model.

Primary care continues to be at the center of health care transformation. The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model of service delivery includes patient-centered care delivery strategies that can improve clinical outcomes, cost, and patient and primary care provider satisfaction with services. This article reviews the link between the PCBH model of service delivery and health care services quality improvement, and provides guidance for initiating PCBH model clinical pathways for patients facing depression, chronic pain, alcohol misuse, obesity, insomnia, and social barriers to health.

The State and Future of the Primary Care Behavioral Health Model of Service Delivery Workforce.

The growth of the Primary Care Behavioral Health model (PCBH) nationally has highlighted and created a workforce development challenge given that most mental health professionals are not trained for primary care specialization. This work provides a review of the current efforts to retrain mental health professionals to fulfill roles as Behavioral Health Consultants (BHCs) including certificate programs, technical assistance programs, literature and on-the-job training, as well as detail the future needs of the workforce if the model is to sustainably proliferate. Eight recommendations are offered including: (1) the development of an interprofessional certification body for PCBH training criteria, (2) integration of PCBH model specific curricula in graduate studies, (3) integration of program development skill building in curricula, (4) efforts to develop faculty for PCBH model awareness, (5) intentional efforts to draw students to graduate programs for PCBH model training, (6) a national employment clearinghouse, (7) efforts to coalesce current knowledge around the provision of technical assistance to sites, and (8) workforce specific research efforts.

Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) Model Research: Current State of the Science and a Call to Action.

The Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model of service delivery is being used increasingly as an effective way to integrate behavioral health services into primary care. Despite its growing popularity, scientifically robust research on the model is lacking. In this article, we provide a qualitative review of published PCBH model research on patient and implementation outcomes. We review common barriers and potential solutions for improving the quantity and quality of PCBH model research, the vital data that need to be collected over the next 10 years, and how to collect those data.

Behavioral Health Integration in Health Care Settings: Lessons Learned from a Pediatric Hospital Primary Care System.

Behavioral health integration within primary care has been evolving, but literature traditionally focuses on smaller scale efforts. We detail how behavioral health has been integrated across a large, urban pediatric hospital system's six primary care clinics (serving over 35,000 children annually and insured predominately through Medicaid) and discuss strategies for success in sustaining and expanding efforts to achieve effective integration of behavioral health into primary care. In a time span of 3 years, the clinics have implemented routine, universal behavioral health screening at well child visits, participated in a 15-month behavioral health screening quality improvement learning collaborative, and integrated the work of psychologists and psychiatrists. Additional work remains to be done in improving family engagement, further expanding services, and ensuring sustainability.

Behavioral Health Integration in Large Multi-group Pediatric Practice.

There is increasing interest in methods to improve access to behavioral health services for children and adolescents. Children's Community Pediatric Behavioral Health Service (CCPBHS) is an integrated behavioral health service whose method of (a) creating a leadership team with empowered administrative and clinical stakeholders who can act on a commitment to change and (b) having a clear mission statement with integrated administrative and clinical care processes can serve as a model for implementing integration efforts within the medical home. Community Pediatrics Behavioral Health Service (CPBHS) is a sustainable initiative that improved the utilization of physical health and behavioral health systems for youth and improved the utilization of evidence-based interventions for youth served in primary care.

Randomized Trial of an Integrated Behavioral Health Home: The Health Outcomes Management and Evaluation (HOME) Study.

OBJECTIVE: Behavioral health homes provide primary care health services to patients with serious mental illness treated in community mental health settings. The objective of this study was to compare quality and outcomes of care between an integrated behavioral health home and usual care. METHOD: The study was a randomized trial of a behavioral health home developed as a partnership between a community mental health center and a Federally Qualified Health Center. A total of 447 patients with a serious mental illness and one or more cardiometabolic risk factors were randomly assigned to either the behavioral health home or usual care for 12 months. Participants in the behavioral health home received integrated medical care on-site from a nurse practitioner and a full-time nurse care manager subcontracted through the health center. RESULTS: Compared with usual care, the behavioral health home was associated with significant improvements in quality of cardiometabolic care, concordance of treatment with the chronic care model, and use of preventive services. For most cardiometabolic and general medical outcomes, both groups demonstrated improvement, although there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups over time. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that it is possible, even under challenging real-world conditions, to improve quality of care for patients with serious mental illness and cardiovascular risk factors. Improving quality of medical care may be necessary, but not sufficient, to improve the full range of medical outcomes in this vulnerable population.

US Air Force Behavioral Health Optimization Program: team members' satisfaction and barriers to care.

BACKGROUND: Research has shown significant contribution of integrated behavioural health care; however, less is known about the perceptions of primary care providers towards behavioural health professionals. OBJECTIVE: The current study examined barriers to care and satisfaction with integrated behavioural health care from the perspective of primary care team members. DESIGN: This study utilized archival data from 42 treatment facilities as part of ongoing program evaluation of the Air Force Medical Service's Behavioral Health Optimization Program. SETTING: This study was conducted in a large managed health care organization for active duty military and their families, with specific clinic settings that varied considerably in regards to geographic location, population diversity and size of patient empanelment. STUDY PARTICIPANTS: De-identified archival data on 534 primary care team members were examined. RESULTS: Team members at larger facilities rated access and acuity concerns as greater barriers than those from smaller facilities (t(533) = 2.57, P < 0.05). Primary Care Managers (PCMs) not only identified more barriers to integrated care (ß = -0.07, P < 0.01) but also found services more helpful to the primary care team (t(362.52) = 1.97, P = 0.05). Barriers to care negatively impacted perceived helpfulness of integrated care services for patients (ß = -0.12, P < 0.01) and team members, particularly among non-PCMs (ß = -0.11, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the potential benefits of targeted training that differs in facilities of larger empanelment and is mindful of team members' individual roles in a Patient Centered Medical Home. In particular, although generally few barriers were perceived, given the impact these barriers have on perception of care, efforts should be made to decrease perceived barriers to integrated behavioural health care among non-PCM team members.

Proposal for an Update of the Definition and Scope of Behavioral Medicine.

PURPOSE: We aim to provide an update of the definition and scope of behavioral medicine in the Charter of ISBM, as the present version was developed more than 25 years ago. METHODS: We identify issues which need clarification or updating. This leads us to propose an update of the definition and scope of behavioral medicine. RESULTS: Issues in need of clarification or updating include the scope of behavioral medicine (biobehavioral mechanisms, clinical diagnosis and intervention, and prevention and health promotion); research as an essential characteristic of all three areas of behavioral medicine; the application of behavioral medicine; the terminology of behavioral medicine as a multidisciplinary field; and the relationship and distinction between behavioral medicine, mental health, health psychology, and psychosomatic medicine. CONCLUSION: We propose the following updated definition and scope of behavioral medicine: "Behavioral medicine can be defined as the multidisciplinary field concerned with the development and integration of biomedical and behavioral knowledge relevant to health and disease, and the application of this knowledge to prevention, health promotion, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and care. The scope of behavioral medicine extends from biobehavioral mechanisms (i.e., the interaction of biomedical processes with psychological, social, societal, cultural, and environmental processes), to clinical diagnosis and intervention, and to public health."

Experiences in the health services network and in the street: Captures and detours in psychology training for public health services.

This article discusses the internships at the psychosocial health system of Natal, Northeast region of Brazil, as part of training in psychology. The objective of these internships is to offer students work experiences in public health both inside and outside health services. Based on Institutional Analysis and Schizoanalysis, these experiences were examined through two analysers: (1) the power of knowledge and (2) the need for by-passes. We conclude that health provokes tensions between instituted practices in health services and those instituted in psychology training.

Care in movement: Health psychology in the Sofia Feldman Maternity Hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Psychologists in hospital settings are part of a complex network of professional relationships in constant negotiation. In addition, psychologists have skills that enable them to work with social phenomena and to act strategically within them. This is especially important in inter-disciplinary team work where professional boundaries can generate barriers to change. This article shows how psychologists of a maternity hospital in a working-class district of a large Brazilian city adapted to an integral approach to health care in a way that helped other professionals to rethink practices.

Provider practices in the primary care behavioral health (PCBH) model: an initial examination in the Veterans Health Administration and United States Air Force.

The goals of this study were to identify characteristics of both behavioral health providers (BHPs) and the patients seen in a primary care behavioral health (PCBH) model of service delivery using prospective data obtained from BHPs. A secondary objective was to explore similarities and differences between these variables within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and United States Air Force (USAF) primary care clinics. A total of 159 VHA and 23 USAF BHPs, representing almost every state in the United States, completed the study, yielding data from 403 patient appointments. BHPs completed a web-based questionnaire that assessed BHP and setting characteristics, and a separate questionnaire after each patient seen on one day of clinical service. Data demonstrated that there are many similarities between the VHA and USAF BHPs and practices. Both systems tend to use well-trained psychologists as BHPs, had systems that support the BHP being in close proximity to the primary care providers, and have seamless operational elements (i.e., shared record, one waiting room, same-day appointments, and administrative support for BHPs). Comorbid anxiety and depression was the most common presenting problem in both systems, but overall rates were higher in VHA clinics, and patients were significantly more likely to meet diagnostic criteria for mental health conditions. This study provides the first systematic, prospective examination of BHPs and practices within a PCBH model of service delivery in two large health systems with well over 5 years of experience with behavioral health integration. Many elements of the PCBH model were implemented in a manner consistent with the model, although some variability exists within both settings. These data can help guide future implementation and training efforts.

Integration of behavioral medicine in primary care.

The health care system in the United States is inefficient and there are many incentives for sustainable changes in the delivery of care. Incorporating behavioral medicine offers a wide range of opportunities. Within primary care settings, pain disorders, addiction, depression, and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent. Numerous chronic health conditions also require behavioral support for lifestyle change. These disorders are optimally managed through interdisciplinary collaborations that include a behavioral medicine component. This article discusses the effective integration of behavioral medicine within a primary care patient-centered medical home and describes the organizational planning and structure required for success.

The integration of mental and behavioral health into disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

The close interplay between mental health and physical health makes it critical to integrate mental and behavioral health considerations into all aspects of public health and medical disaster management. Therefore, the National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB) convened the Disaster Mental Health Subcommittee to assess the progress of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in integrating mental and behavioral health into disaster and emergency preparedness and response activities. One vital opportunity to improve integration is the development of clear and directive national policy to firmly establish the role of mental and behavioral health as part of a unified public health and medical response to disasters. Integration of mental and behavioral health into disaster preparedness, response, and recovery requires it to be incorporated in assessments and services, addressed in education and training, and founded on and advanced through research. Integration must be supported in underlying policies and administration with clear lines of responsibility for formulating and implementing policy and practice.