1. Standards Matrix

Brief Description

1. Review evidence-based models of care and define the critical domains and specific functions of effective integrated behavioral health programs. Key domains include outreach, screening / case-finding, diagnosis, care planning, care coordination, treatment (biopsychosocial), client- and population-level outcomes tracking, consultation and stepped care.
2. Use this to derive a matrix of broadly applicable principles and standards that can be used to measure integrated behavioral health services in a wide range of organizations.
3. Solicit endorsement of these principles via a robust stakeholder process.
4. Create an ongoing process for applying them to diverse populations and healthcare settings.

Opportunity (Why Now?)

1. BIG gap in quality of care for behavioral health problems
2. Significant proportion of patients suffer from untreated or ineffectively treated behavioral health problems.
3. Effective patient-centered collaborative care models are available but these models are not widely implemented.
4. Great variation in the nature and implementation of integrated care programs in diverse primary care settings makes it difficult to evaluate their level of success.
5. National interest in patient centered medical homes
6. New systems are currently being created with a focus on patient-centered healthcare homes including ‘measurement’ and classification of medical homes that have financial implications and will get organizations’ attention.
7. Measurement of effective integrated behavioral health care in PCMHs is important complement to measurement of ‘medical home criteria’ if we want to advance evidence-based effective behavioral health care in the context of PCMHs .
8. A new market for value (Quality/Cost) by employers and government purchasers
9. Legislative opportunities (i.e., ACA)

• AHRQ Academy for Integrating Mental Health and Primary Care
• NCCBH