Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Health has launched its first private practice-based primary care behavioral health collaborative to expand access to and normalize mental healthcare through integration with primary care.
The program, based at UNC Health Family Medicine and Pediatrics at East Pittsboro, embeds a behavioral health consultant within the clinic to provide short-term therapy and real-time consultations via warm handoffs. Patients can access up to eight in-clinic counseling sessions while maintaining continuity with their primary care provider, according to a Jan. 21 news release from the health system.
Medical Director Erik Butler, DO, and behavioral health consultant Jacqueline Fuentes are leading the initiative, which aims to improve early intervention and reduce stigma around mental health with hopes to replicate the model across its network.
In its first six weeks, the collaborative has facilitated numerous provider-specialist collaborations, Ms. Fuentes said. The team is tracking warm handoffs, the number of sessions and overall health outcomes. The program also received support from the UNC Faculty Practice, UNC Health Medical Group, UNC Health Foundation and private donors.
UNC Health is among the systems, including Hartford HealthCare and Phoenix Children’s, that are investing in integration and expanding their continuum of care for behavioral health through collaborative care models and emergency department integration.
