Behavioral Health Services within Primary Care: Essential for Health

Fixing the nation’s broken health care system requires a solution that extends beyond traditional thinking. Primary care transformation is essential and key to this is the inclusion of patient-centered, team-based care that integrates behavioral health assessment and intervention.  Behavioral health domains include prevention, health behaviors, mental health, and substance use.  The behavioral health professionals that are part of the primary care team should be selected based on population needs and patient preferences, including a focus on prevention, as well as stepped levels of care intensity; with the most serious and complicated cases referred to mental health specialists.