Behavioral Consultation and Primary Care

here exists a very large and growing demand for behavioral health care, Tand all too often the responsibility for such care falls not on mental health clinics but on primary care clinics. The mental health professions have been slow to respond to this problem, but an emerging and promising strategy has been to improve collaboration between mental health and p- mary care by integrating the two services. These efforts have taken a n- ber of forms, but they all share the common goal of better meeting the health care needs of the population. As with any new endeavor, however, confusion about how to proceed is widespread. Individuals and clinics attempting to integrate primary care and behavioral health can easily feel as if they are in a boat adrift without a rudder (and sometimes it can feel as if that boat is alone in the middle of a very large sea!). Imagine being the m- ical director of a primary care clinic wanting to develop an integrated se- ice, or the mental health provider hired to do that. Where would you start? With whom would you consult? This being a relatively new field, few people have training, and this means that finding guidance for establishing a se- ice can be challenging. Even when knowledgeable consultants are found, the advice given is likely to be discrepant from one consultant to another.

From the reviews:

"The recent emergence of psychology as a behavioral primary care profession has markedly accelerated during the past decade… Robinson and Reiter were identified with co-located behavioral primary care long before it became the next wave in mental health care delivery, and the depth of their knowledge and experience has enabled them to write this much-needed, comprehensive how-to book that can be regarded as the new wave's first textbook... The co-authors have provided not only listing key references for those already engaged in integrated behavioral/primary care, but also serving as a wealth of information with user-friendly guides, educational materials, and other tools necessary for starting up such a clinic."--Nicholas A. Cummings, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 52 (46), © American Psychological Assocation, 2007

"Comprehensive, wise, and incredibly practical, this exciting volume walks through the joys and challenges of an entirely new vision of behavioral health consultation in primary care settings.  Gently, and with good humor, the authors show how to avoid key errors, and provide a detailed, point by point guideline for success in an effective and needed new form of practice. You will forever think differently about the proper role of behavioral health providers in health care delivery.  Even better, you will be prepared to do something about it." -- Steven C. Hayes, University of Nevada

"This book embodies primary care behavioral health practice at its best. It is accessible, focused, based on the latest evidence, and capable of fundamentally changing health care delivery for those who encounter it. It is simultaneously revolutionary in its insistence on population approaches over individual approaches, and a handy toolbox of practical instruments for daily practice. It should be on the shelves of every primary care behavioral health professional and of the physicians and administrators who want toutilize their services."  -- Alexander Blount, EdD, Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School; Chair, Collaborative Family Healthcare Association, author of Integrated Primary Care: The Future of Medical and Mental Health Collaboration.

"Finally, a practical, comprehensive guide for how to successfully integrate a behavioral health service within primary health care. This book covers everything a person needs to know, from tips for getting started to avoiding common pitfalls and ensuring success over the long-term. In my view, this book is essential reading for anyone who is thinking about making the transition to primary care-based behavioral health services." -- Dr. JoAnne Epping-Jordan, Senior Programme Adviser, Department of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion,World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.