My work for Maine health involves translating research evidence into daily practice.
And one of the key things in doing that work is that you have to pay attention
to the details and help people think about how they have to change the way they do their daily work
to incorporate integration so that people can develop new work processes and new habits.
There are several themes that I've noticed in working with highly successful integrated practices.
The first is that the behavioral health clinician has to become a member
of the primary care team developing relationships with other members of the team, communicating well,
and really becoming a part of that team.
Secondly you need to pay attention to some key details of integration,
especially as things are getting up and running.
That includes the balance between accessibility and productivity.
You need to make sure the clinician is generating enough income to
support the practice while at the same time being accessible for that next patient who needs the service.
Finally it's important to think about ways to anticipate which patients
may have need for integrated services because in the midst of a busy primary care day
the clinician may not be able to remember and you need other mechanisms
to make sure that those patients get the care they need.