This year's Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) conference will focus on two themes: basics of developing and running an integrated behavioral health program and low-intensity, high-impact interventions in primary care. Primary care represents the "front entryway" into the healthcare system. Primary care, family medicine, and pediatric teams are tasked with not only caring for the medical needs of their patients but with caring for the mental health needs of their patients as well. Embedding evidence-based mental health interventions within the primary care environment represents a unique opportunity to promote overall health in a less stigmatized environment, with opportunities for earlier intervention and improved outcomes. Considerable variability exists across primary care clinics in terms of populations served, patterns of medical and psychiatric conditions and comorbidities, internal and community-based mental health resources, and barriers to care. Even with minimal resources, strategic investments can be made in designing, implementing, and evaluating integrated programs within primary care. A growing evidence base also exists for brief, single-session mental health interventions that can be delivered right at the point of care. IBH teams of social workers, psychologists, nurses, and psychiatric prescribers all bring a unique skill set that can deliver highly targeted, single-session interventions to help serve the entire primary care population in a resource-efficient manner.

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Health and Wellness

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