New Report: Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care

Thanks to Stakeholder Advisory Group member Jim Hester for bringing this to our attention:

New Report   Behavioral Health Integration in Pediatric Primary Care:  Considerations and Opportunities for Policymakers, Planners, and Providers Much of the research on behavioral health integration (BHI) has focused on adults. But children are affected by mental disorders too. Estimates consistently indicate that 13% to 20% of US children have been diagnosed with a mental disorder. Yet not a single state in the country has an adequate supply of child psychiatrists, and 43 states are considered to have a severe shortage. Models exist, however, for treating many of these children effectively in primary care settings that offer integrated, family-centered care. In this Milbank-sponsored report, Elizabeth Tobin Tyler, JD, MA, of Brown University, and Rachel L. Hulkower, JD, MSPH, and Jennifer W. Kaminski, PhD, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, explore the prevalence of childhood behavioral health problems; describe the need for, barriers to, and models of BHI in pediatrics; and offer BHI policy and implementation considerations for policymakers, planners, and providers. The report aims to help policymakers and providers who are looking for research-supported models of care that will improve the health of children with mental disorders.  Read more