Presenters
- Michael Bruner, PsyD, PCBH Program Manager, HealthSource of Ohio, Loveland, OH
- Ciara Incorvati, MA, Graduate Student Behavioral Health Consultant, HealthSource of Ohio, Loveland, OH
- Holly Binnig, MD, Chief Medical Officer, HealthSource of Ohio, Loveland, OH
Summary
This session is intended for beginning behavioral health providers working in a primary care medical setting (although we would be thrilled to have interested colleagues and collaborators across all disciplines and of all experience levels to join us). The primary goal for this session is open Q&A! All sessions require pre-defined discussion points, so we will begin with a brief but hopefully relevant and helpful didactic presentation. First, we will provide a rapid overview of the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model as defined by Reiter, Dobmeyer, and Hunter (2018). Next, taking inspiration from Neftali’s January 2022 blog post on BHC role diffusion, we will discuss pitfalls that can pull BHCs away from the bullseye regarding their primary care role, and how this can cause them and their primary care teams trouble. Finally, we will discuss strategies for overcoming these challenges. Consistent with previous feedback received on this session over the previous two years, we will have a smaller panel consisting of an experienced BHC, a trainee with approximately one year’s experience as a BHC, and a primary care provider well-versed in the PCBH model. We love the consistent feedback we’ve gotten about having even more time for Q&A! We will do our best to maximize the time available, so bring your questions and be ready to share your own wisdom as well!
Objectives
- Describe and discuss the Primary Care Behavioral Health Model as defined by recent expert consensus (Reiter, Dobmeyer, & Hunter, 2018).
- Identify common pitfalls that lead BHCs to feel "stuck" between the primary care BHC role and that of a traditional therapist.
- Describe & discuss the problems associated with these pitfalls, and how to strengthen adherence to the BHC role and PCBH model.
