Integrating Mental Health and Substance Use Services with Primary Care Can Reduce Disparities for Communities of Color

Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) experience greater barriers to accessing mental health and substance use services than their white counterparts, and the COVID-19 pandemic has not only made disparities more evident, but also worsened them. As members of Congress measure possible solutions to improve behavioral health care access, it is critical they consider the benefits of integrating behavioral health services with primary care and the impacts of doing so on health equity.