Behavioral Health Services in Primary Care

Health systems are moving toward integrated care. Multiple models of integrated health care are currently being implemented and evaluated across the nation. Evidence increasingly shows that health outcomes are often improved when licensed behavioral health professionals are an on-site part of the primary care team. The two primary integrated health-care models currently recognized by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services are the primary care behaviorist model (also called primary care behavioral health, or
PCBH) and the collaborative care model (CoCM—care management for patients with mental health conditions). These models serve different, yet complementary, needs.