March 2007

Mind & Body Reunited: Improving Care at the Behavioral & Primary Healthcare Interface

This paper, prepared for the American College of Mental Health Administration Summit in March 2007, reviews the current state of mental and substance use disorder treatment in primary care settings and the state of medical care for those with serious mental health and substance use disorders within behavioral health settings. The focus of the paper is on care in the public sector.

After a review of the history, structure, and current developments of care at the primary care/behavioral health interface, the authors suggest that improving care will require that mental health/substance use and medical systems of care integrate their efforts to create a health system that is centered on the individual patient. A more collaborative system, they argue, will create a better quality of care and reinforce the importance of the connections between mental and physical health.