Four Innovations: A Robust Integrated Behavioral Health Program in Pediatric Primary Care

The incidence of mental health concerns in children and adolescents has risen dramatically in the last decade (Houtrow, Larson, Olson, Newacheck, & Halfon, 2014). It is estimated that in children [...]
The increase in behavioral health problems presenting in pediatric primary care (PPC) has led to a greater focus on the prevention and treatment of mental health concerns. As a result, care has shifted from colocation to integrated PPC models. However, the literature provides limited guidance on the development and implementation of integrated PPC models that aim to transform both PPC and the larger health care system. We developed an integrated behavioral health (IBH) approach modeled with fidelity to the Integrated Practice Assessment Tool to fully integrate behavioral health into PPC. Over the 4 years since the application of our model, we have been successful in the development of an integration process and model for practice transformation of an urban PPC center and the spread and scale of IBH services to 2 additional clinics. Four elements combine to make our integrated behavioral health program novel: (a) clear mission and vision, (b) provision of universal prevention services, (c) continuous quality improvement, and (d) emphasis on practice and systems transformation. Trends in practice and scholarly inquiry indicate the need for robust pediatric IBH models, with a clear mission and vision; articulation of how research informs the development and implementation of the model; and infrastructure to meaningfully examine the model's impact. Cognizant of these needs, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center developed an IBH program. We provide key learnings for IBH program development, PPC transformation, and innovative systems redesign. We describe these elements and make recommendations for future research and practice. Public Significance Statement Integrated Behavioral Health is a key strategy to address behavioral health programs in primary care. We share learnings about how four innovations have made our program novel and successful in scaling and spreading. Keywords: integrated behavioral health, pediatric primary care, prevention, quality improvement, practice transformation