Advancing Behavioral Health Integration across the Continuum

When we talk about care integration, we think about all the ways in which care for individuals with behavioral health needs has to be coordinated, whether that care is being delivered within the specialty behavioral health system, within the physical health system, or by teams of providers spanning both specialties.

Integration across levels and systems of care aims to improve:

• Continuity of Care Between Inpatient and Outpatient Behavioral Health Care
• Care for Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
• Care for Individuals with Co-Morbid Physical and Behavioral Health Conditions
• Care for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Treated in the General Medical Setting
• Overall population health through the prevention, early detection, and treatment of behavioral health and substance use risks as soon as, and wherever, needs are identified.

In order to achieve these aims, MBHP and MassHealth are focused on accelerating integration within the specialty behavioral health system at the same time we work to support the evolution of BH capacity and capability into the physical health system, in primary care as well as across other points of care in the medical system. We see this work as consistent with the aims of national and Massachusetts health care reform as well as mental health parity.

Supporting System Transformation