BHI – Common Psych Issues in Primary Care

Thursdays 8:00 – 9:00AM

There is a widespread need for comprehensive mental health care, and yet patients often do not know where to go for behavioral health care and are concerned about associated out-of-pocket costs of seeing a therapist or psychiatrist. Safety net providers express similar concerns about access to and cost of behavioral health for their patients, as well as the need for additional training to identify symptoms of mental illness among their patients. This ECHO series in Behavioral Health Integration works towards a collaborative model of care where primary care providers and behavioral health staff work to develop shared treatment plans for patients, while incorporating the patient’s goals for treatment. In addition to delving into symptom identification and diagnosis, our curriculum looks at Motivational Interviewing and other non-pharmacological approaches to treatment as well as medication prescription and management so that more of this first line care can be provided in the primary care setting. This series is focused on the skillset a primary care provider would need, but we also encourage participation from other collaborating healthcare providers, such as social workers and case managers.

Topics for Case-Based Learning and Discussion Include:

• Motivational Interviewing
• Non-pharmacological approaches to treating depression and anxiety – Part 1 (CBT)
• Non-pharmacological approaches to treating depression and anxiety – Part 2 (Behavioral Activation)
• Optimizing treatment for depression
• Anxiety in primary care, appropriate use of benzodiazepines
• Non-pharmacological approaches to treating depression and anxiety – Part 3 (stress reduction and relaxation)
• Trauma Informed Care, PTSD
• Assessing and prescribing for alcohol dependence, SUD, tobacco dependence
• Assessing and managing suicidality
• Personality disorders: Tips and tricks
• Chronic pain: non-pharmacological approaches