Behavioral Health Integration

Mental health issues and concerns often emerge during primary care visits, yet only 3% of psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners coordinate care with primary care practitioners. Evidence shows, however, that integrating behavioral health services into primary care can enhance mental health care access and coordination, improve outcomes and reduce costs.

PBGH provides technical assistance to providers and delivery systems in support of enhanced integration. At the same time, we’re working to align efforts across health plans and supporting organizations to eliminate primary care barriers to integration in areas, such as data sharing, aligned payment and incentives, and technical assistance.

Program Initiatives


Behavioral Health Integration Initiative

Read More about Behavioral Health Integration Initiative

Meeting patients’ mental health needs and considering social impacts on their health are fundamental to providing comprehensive, patient-centered and high-quality care.


CalHIVE Behavioral Health Integration (2023-2026)

Read More about CalHIVE Behavioral Health Integration (2023-2026)

The CalHIVE Behavioral Health Integration Improvement Collaborative is a three-year program operated by PBGH’s California Quality Collaborative (CQC) that begins July 2023 and will focus on supporting California-based primary care practices as they integrate behavioral health services.


Behavioral Health Integration – Children and Youth Collaborative Learning Exchange (2024-2025)

Read More about Behavioral Health Integration – Children and Youth Collaborative Learning Exchange (2024-2025)

Recruiting Now | The Behavioral Health Integration – Children and Youth Collaborative Learning Exchange is a nine-month learning collaborative launching October 2024 that will bring together organizations experienced in integrating behavioral health services into primary care for children and youth.


Collective BHI Solutions – Behavioral Health Integration Financing (2024)

Read More about Collective BHI Solutions – Behavioral Health Integration Financing (2024)

Through Behavioral Health Integration Financing, CQC will conduct a state-wide landscape assessment project to identify, synthesize and communicate successful practices to ensure sustainable payment for behavioral health integration into primary care.


Patient-Reported Outcomes — Mental Health

Read More about Patient-Reported Outcomes — Mental Health

PBGH develops, implements and tests patient-reported mental health measures to improve treatment.

Resources

2023 Annual Report | Behavioral Health Integration Initiative

Prospectus | Behavioral Health Integration – Children and Youth Collaborative Learning Exchange

Behavioral Health Integration – Children and Youth Collaborative Learning Exchange is a nine-month learning collaborative to help provider organizations experienced in behavioral health integration supporting children and youth to share, spread and showcase successful practices.

Behavioral Health Integration Improvement Collaborative Curriculum

Get the Balance Right (Part 1)

An outline for building a financially sustainable program of integrated behavioral health services in primary care.

Get the Balance Right (Part 2)

Leaders offer strategic planning around sustainable integrated behavioral health services.

CQC Toolkit: Implement Adverse Childhood Experiences Screening in Primary Care

This toolkit is a collection of evidence-based interventions and resources for ambulatory care provider organizations to implement Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) screening and follow-up care.

Weaving Together Mental and Physical Health Care Outside the Safety Net

This 2020 paper, supported by the California Health Care Foundation, focuses on opportunities to support practice change in primary care to deliver integrated care outside the safety net.

Upcoming Events and Training

September 11–January 8, 2024

Behavioral Health Integration Implementation Webinar Series

The California Quality Collaborative’s Behavioral Health Integration Implementation Webinar Series is a three-part webinar series for health care organizations planning and implementing behavioral health integration.

September 18–December 4, 2024

Cal-IN Peer Group

In partnership with the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association, the California Quality Collaborative is hosting quarterly virtual peer group meetings for individuals working to integrate behavioral health care into the primary care setting in California.

Past Events and Training

July 11, 2024

Behavioral Health Integration Financing Convening

The California Quality Collaborative’s Behavioral Health Integration Financing Convening brings together stakeholders to explore findings from statewide interviews on sustainable payment practices and brainstorm improvement opportunities for integrating behavioral health into primary care. 

June 5, 2024

CQC Webinar: Behavioral Health Integration – Children and Youth Collaborative Learning Exchange Program

BHI-CYCLE is a nine-month learning collaborative beginning October 2024 that will bring together organizations experienced in integrating behavioral health services into primary care for children and youth. ​

May 21-22, 2024

2024 CalHIVE Behavioral Health Integration Annual Convening

The California Quality Collaborative’s CalHIVE Behavioral Health Integration Annual Convening is a two-day learning and networking session for improvement collaborative participants.

June 13, 2023

Behavioral Health Integration Fundamentals: Concepts & Models

Integrating behavioral health into primary care is essential for providers looking to deliver patient-centered, high-quality and whole-person care. Yet many health care organizations struggle with knowing where to begin.

November 30, 2022

CalHIVE Behavioral Health Integration Improvement Collaborative: Informational Webinar

The CalHIVE Behavioral Health Integration Improvement Collaborative is a three-year program launched in July 2023 and will focus on supporting California based provider organizations as they integrate behavioral health services into their primary care practices.

May 25, 2022

CQC Webinar – Behavioral Health Integration: Telehealth Promising Practices

Hear on-the-ground lessons around behavioral health integration, and understand opportunities around effective virtual care.

May 18-19, 2021

Adolescent Mental Health 2021

Access to high-quality, measurement-based adolescent mental health care is critical, particularly at this time. The PBGH Adolescent Mental Health Showcase […]

Depression Webinar Cover Slide
March 31, 2021

CQC Webinar: Increase Depression Screening

In this meeting, attendees shared challenges and questions related to depression screening at their organizations, and identified a next step they could apply at their own organizations.

September 29, 2020

Accelerating Integrated Care: Measure Screening and Access for Behavioral Health

Second webinar in Accelerating Integrated care series, attendees learned why measuring behavioral health screening and access is important.