TY - JOUR
AU - G. M. Hindmarch
AU - A. R. Dopp
AU - S. J. Mendon-Plasek
AU - K. E. Watkins
A1 - 
AB - The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) is a principle-based, behavioral health integration model used in primary care to improve access and quality of behavioral health treatment. CoCM was originally developed and tested for the treatment of depression. This JGIM Perspective argues that when principle-based models are scaled to complex populations and settings beyond those for which they were originally developed, the boundaries of the principles are strained. In scaling CoCM for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) co-occurring with PTSD and/or depression in a randomized trial, we found challenges with enacting the principles of CoCM for a complex population in low-resourced settings. Key considerations included understanding the scope of the care manager role while adapting practices for low-resourced settings (e.g., using community health workers (CHWs) in the role; delivery of psychotherapy by CHWs), understanding if and how to address patient social needs in CoCM care plans, overcoming lack of validated measures for OUD symptoms, and understanding the appropriate timeframe and supports needed to provide population-based care to complex patients with co-occurring disorders. Practitioners, researchers, and policymakers should collaborate to refine understanding of the CoCM principles to strengthen the foundation of CoCM and its application to various populations and settings.
AD - RAND, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90407-2138, USA. ghindmar@rand.org.; University of California Los Angeles, Fielding School of Public Health, Department of Health Policy and Management, 650 Charles E Young Dr S, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. ghindmar@rand.org.; RAND, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90407-2138, USA.
AN - 42298200
BT - J Gen Intern Med
C5 - Education & Workforce; Opioids & Substance Use
DA - 06/2026
DO - 10.1007/s11606-026-10552-x
DP - NLM
ET - 20260615
JF - J Gen Intern Med
LA - eng
N2 - The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) is a principle-based, behavioral health integration model used in primary care to improve access and quality of behavioral health treatment. CoCM was originally developed and tested for the treatment of depression. This JGIM Perspective argues that when principle-based models are scaled to complex populations and settings beyond those for which they were originally developed, the boundaries of the principles are strained. In scaling CoCM for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) co-occurring with PTSD and/or depression in a randomized trial, we found challenges with enacting the principles of CoCM for a complex population in low-resourced settings. Key considerations included understanding the scope of the care manager role while adapting practices for low-resourced settings (e.g., using community health workers (CHWs) in the role; delivery of psychotherapy by CHWs), understanding if and how to address patient social needs in CoCM care plans, overcoming lack of validated measures for OUD symptoms, and understanding the appropriate timeframe and supports needed to provide population-based care to complex patients with co-occurring disorders. Practitioners, researchers, and policymakers should collaborate to refine understanding of the CoCM principles to strengthen the foundation of CoCM and its application to various populations and settings.
PY - 2026
SN - 0884-8734 (Print); 0884-8734
ST - What is Collaborative Care? Reexamining the Principles of Collaborative Care Through Scaling to Complex Populations and Settings
T1 - What is Collaborative Care? Reexamining the Principles of Collaborative Care Through Scaling to Complex Populations and Settings
T2 - J Gen Intern Med
TI - What is Collaborative Care? Reexamining the Principles of Collaborative Care Through Scaling to Complex Populations and Settings
U1 - Education & Workforce; Opioids & Substance Use
U3 - 10.1007/s11606-026-10552-x
VO - 0884-8734 (Print); 0884-8734
Y1 - 2026
ER -