Integration of Behavioral Health services at Southcentral Foundation’s Primary Care Clinics began in 2004 with a grant to provide screening and brief intervention for substance abuse issues. With that success, it became apparent that there were other services that could be expanded and greatly improved.
Over the past three years, there has been rapid expansion of Behavioral Health Services to encompass other areas of needs. Initially, there was one Behavioral Health Consultant (BHC) for the entire clinic. However, as the success and potential became apparent, more were added to meet the needs of our patients. There are now six BHC’s in the Family Medicine Clinic, and three BHC’s in other clinics in the Southcentral Foundation system.
The need and potential for BHC’s has grown rapidly. The Primary Care Team frequently encounters patients with a variety of mental and behavioral health concerns in addition to their physicals needs. Unfortunately, in most primary care settings, it can be difficult to adequately address such concerns due to time constraints and limited provider training and/or comfort level. This leads to frustration for both providers and patients.
The program was successfully expanded to include brief, solution-focused interventions in all varieties of conventional counseling situations including depression, anxiety, family relational issues, child development issues, substance abuse, grief, as well as the behavioral management of diabetes, chronic pain, obesity, and other medical conditions. Customers can receive comprehensive and immediate treatment in the exam room, while visiting their primary care provider. The current direction is toward preventive healthcare rather than reactive healthcare.