Primary Care Behavioral Health Curriculum
Creating and Managing an Integrated Primary Care Practice Topics
(Module 1) Introduction to Integrated Primary Care
- The health care crisis in the US and the costs and consequences of poor health, particularly behavioral health
- Definitions of Integrated Primary Care (IPC) and Behavioral Health Integration (BHI)
- The role of Primary Care in health care transformation
- Current efforts at health care transformation
- Major models of Integrated Primary Care
(Module 2) Transforming the Organization
- Outcomes among some integration exemplars
- The role and possible makeup of an integration team
- Information sharing that needs to take place in integrated primary care
- The relationship between Integrated Primary Care and the Patient-Centered Medical Home
- Reasons that workflows may need revision during integration
(Module 3) Transforming Clinical Practice
- How to feel comfortable and oriented in a primary care setting
- Methods of building an effective integrated team
- How behavioral health can become an essential part of many primary care cases
- Examples of expertise transfer in an integrated primary care practice
Bio-Psycho-Social Treatment Topics
(Module 4) Evidence-based Therapies
- What constitutes valid evidence in scientific literature relevant to your practice
- Types of evidence available for Behavioral Health approaches
- How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can be applied in a Primary Care setting
- The role of Solution-Focused Interviewing can play in patient and provider change.
(Module 5) Patient Activation
- The interaction of patient activation and shared decision-making methods in primary care
- Health literacy and patient engagement approaches
- Patient-centered care plans
- The “Share Approach”
(Module 6) Psychotropic Medication
- The role of a Behavioral Health Provider in psychotropic medication safety monitoring, adherence, and effectiveness
- How to speak comfortably with adult patients and prescribers about psychotropic medications
- The pharmacological properties of common psychotropics
(Module 7) Caring for Chronic Illnesses
- An evidence-based bio-psycho-social approach for chronic illnesses in primary care
- Symptoms, mechanisms, and treatments of chronic illnesses seen commonly in primary care
(Module 8) Medically Unexplained Symptoms
- The usefulness of the terms "Somatization" and "Medically Unexplained Symptoms" (MUS)
- The role of a team approach to MUS
- The role that language plays in engaging the patient
- "Functional" illnesses and Behavioral Health approaches
Dealing with Substance and Pain in Primary Care Topics
(Module 9) Substance Abuse in Primary Care
- Knowledge, skill, and attitudinal needs of providers related to the management of substance use disorders
- Roles of members of multidisciplinary teams for managing substance use disorders in primary care
- Effective interventions for substance use disorders in primary care
- Ways for behavioral health providers and medical providers to collaborate to improve the treatment of substance use disorders in primary care
(Module 10) Health Behavior Change
- Building the doctor/patient relationship for better health
- The Stages of Change Model
- An introduction to Motivational Interviewing
- A patient's stage of change in relation to a health behavior problem and motivational approaches appropriate to that stage.
(Module 11) Chronic Pain in Primary Care, Medical Interventions
- The dilemma of pain, right to treatment vs. danger of abuse
- Pain medications, actions, and indications
- Contracting and monitoring for safety
- Addressing dangerous patterns of use
(Module 12) Chronic Pain in Primary Care, Behavioral Interventions
- Current definitions of pain
- Gate Control Theory/Biopsychosocial Model
- The neurology of pain
- Behavioral Health approaches to chronic pain
- Common psychotropic medications for chronic pain
(Module 13) Relaxation Therapies
- Describe relaxation therapies and their use in Primary Care
- Implement/teach simple relaxation techniques for patients
Behavioral Health and Pediatrics Topics
(Module 14) Behavioral Health in the Primary Care of Children
- Engaging parents in promoting health without making them feel judged
- Roles of PCP, BHP, and caregivers in the Primary Care of children
- Major evidence-based screening tools used in pediatric care and how they are used
(Module 15) Behavioral Health Interventions and ADHD in the Primary Care of Children
- Behavioral Health needs in the primary care of children
- The BHP’s role in interviewing the child and caregivers
- Methods of involving and giving help to parents and caregivers
- Speaking with the medical team and caregivers about ADHD: screening, medications and BH interventions
(Module 16) Challenging Populations
- The needs of common patient populations in the primary care of children
- Ways in which a Behavioral Health Provider can be of use in the primary care of chronic illnesses in the care of children
- The increased role of behavioral risks with adolescents
- Depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and health behavior needs of adolescents in primary care
- Guiding parents and children struggling with chronic illnesses, and adolescents on behavioral issues in a culturally acceptable and effective manner.
Serious Mental Illness Topics
(Module 17) Integrated Care for People Coping with Serious Mental Illness
- Health needs of people coping with serious mental illness
- Ways in which health and wellness can be fostered through a structured learning program
- How the experience of trauma, mental illness and some come common treatments for mental illness increase health risks and lower the effectiveness of usual medical care for these people
- The possibility of primary care, care management and wellness programs to improve the life experience and health of this group
(Module 18) Serious Mental Illness Health Behavior
- Physical health issues for people with serious mental illness
- Evidence-based lifestyle interventions geared toward people with serious mental illness
- Implementing evidence-based lifestyle interventions within mental health and/or primary care settings
Population Health in Primary Care Topics
(Module 19) Screening and Care Management
- The purpose of screening in Primary Care
- Common screening tools used in Primary Care
- Care management for depression in Primary Care
- The pros and cons of implementing care management in Primary Care
Families, Community and Culture Topics
(Module 20) Working with Families in Primary Care
- The family’s role in health
- The importance of a family perspective in addressing problems in health behavior
- Opportunities in regular care (pediatric and adult) to engage family members
- Critical points in care where family involvement is necessary
- Steps in conducting a medical family meeting
(Module 21) Behavioral Health services in primary care for elderly people
- Describe changes in behavioral approaches necessitated by advancing age
- Discuss the specific needs of a geriatric population
- Identify specific behavioral interventions for older adults
(Module 22) Underserved Populations, Culture and Primary Care
- Working with a culturally diverse population of patients
- The impact of racism, discrimination, immigration, and poverty as well as cultural influences on coping skills
- Narrative questioning skills for discovering important cultural issues and the barriers faced by primary care clinicians in using these techniques