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. 2025 May 12;38(1):107-118.
doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2024.240081R1.

Successful Implementation of Integrated Behavioral Health

W Perry Dickinson  1 , Mark Gritz  2 , Kyle E Knierim  2 , Stephanie Kirchner  2 , Douglas H Fernald  2 , Allyson Gottsman  2 , Kimberly Wiggins  2 , L Miriam Dickinson  2
Affiliations

Successful Implementation of Integrated Behavioral Health

W Perry Dickinson et al. J Am Board Fam Med. .

Abstract

Introduction: The Colorado State Innovation Model (SIM) initiative aimed to support primary care practices in implementing behavioral health integration and other aspects of advanced primary care. This project evaluated implementation of behavioral health integration and the Building Blocks of High Performing Primary Care in primary care practices.

Methods: A total of 334 practices participated in SIM in 3 cohorts for 1 year (cohort 3) or 2 years (cohorts 1 and 2). Practice transformation support for implementation of advanced primary care and behavioral health integration was provided. Measures included 1) Comprehensive Primary Care Practice Monitor, completed at baseline, 12, and 24 months to assess implementation of the building blocks of primary care and behavioral integration, and 2) Behavioral health clinical quality measures, reported quarterly.

Results: Practices improved on implementation of all building blocks, including leadership, data driven improvement, empanelment, team-based care, patient-team partnerships, population management, continuity of care access to care, care coordination, resource utilization, behavioral health integration, and general behavioral health improvement (all P < .0001). Onsite behavioral health integration was implemented by 78% of practices by the end of the intervention. Practices improved on depression screening and monitoring (P < .0001) and maternal depression screening (P < .001). Implementation of several building blocks mediated improvement in depression screening and monitoring and maternal depression screening (P < .05).

Discussion: Practices in the SIM initiative successfully implemented behavioral health integration and the building blocks of high performing primary care, yielding improved behavioral clinical quality measures. Implementation of the building blocks mediated improvements in clinical quality measures.

Keywords: Behavioral Medicine; Colorado; Evaluation Studies; Family Medicine; Integrated Health Care Systems; Medical Home; Mental Health; Organizational Change; Primary Health Care; Quality Improvement.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
CONSORT diagram. Abbreviations: PPA, Practice Participation Agreement; MOU, Memorandum of Understanding.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Improvement in depression screening and treatment quality measures.
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See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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