The AIMS Center is an integral part of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and is a leading center of research, training, and innovation in integrated mental health programs.
The UW Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences has nearly 200 full time faculty engaged in a wide variety of clinical, research, and training programs. Our faculty support the training of health professionals in urban and rural sites in the WWAMI network, a five state region in the Pacific Northwest including Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. A primary area of research interest is the development of programs in which mental health professionals collaborate effectively with primary care physicians and other health care providers to care for children, adults, and older adults with common mental disorders.
The AIMS Center is active in the United States and abroad. It coordinates its activities with other departmental programs such as the Division of Health Services and Psychiatric Epidemiology, Division of Public Behavioral Health and Justice Policy (PBHJP), and CHAMMP program at Harborview Medical Center.
The Center focuses on improving the care for individuals with common mental disorders who are served in settings such as
- Primary Care Clinics, including clinics serving rural and underserved populations
- Specialty Medical Care Programs (e.g., cancer care programs, diabetes care programs)
- Community Mental Health Centers
- Home Health Care Programs
- Other community-based settings such as Senior Centers
- Public health delivery systems in developed and developing countries