221640 Implementation lessons: Integrating care from the perspective of mental health care providers

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 : 3:30 PM - 3:45 PM

Cheryl Clark, MD , Mental Health Center of Denver, Denver, CO
Kristi Mock, LCSW , Mental Health Center of Denver, Denver, CO
PRICARe – Promoting Resources for Integrated Care and Recovery - integrates primary health care in Denver's community mental health center creating an integrated “medical home.” This new model, created with funding from the Colorado Health Foundation, acknowledges the multiple treatment dimensions for persons with serious mental illness that have been difficult to address and coordinate. PRICARe allows mental health consumers to obtain the specialty mental health services necessary to promote recovery and, concurrently, it permits access to basic primary health care at the mental health clinic.

From the perspective of mental health care staff implementation of PRICARe has been a slow, but successful process. Key informant and survey data findings describe the experiences of mental health professionals as they participate in this innovative project. For example, developing an efficient client referral and follow-up procedure to the primary care staff has been a challenge. How this challenge has been met can be a useful lesson to mental health staff that will attempt such integration projects.

Prior to PRICARe there had been great difficulty exchanging initial and follow-up information between health care and mental health practitioners which resulted in an inability to support consumers in both health care arenas. In the development of PRICARe, case managers and primary care practitioners learned they could consult as partners in treatment planning.

Learning Areas:
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
1) describe challenges to community mental health when primary care is co-1) describe challenges to community mental health when primary care is co-located 1)describe challenges to community mental health when primary care is co-located in a public mental health facility 2) identify the reported benefits to mental health providers from the implantation of an integrated project

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Medical Director of the Mental Center of Denver in which the PRICARe project has been implemented.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.