Accessing mental health care is challenging for many Americans. And as COVID-19 has exposed inequities in the nation’s health system, mental health care is among the fault lines that the pandemic has laid bare.
The AMA established the Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) Collaborative with seven other leading physician organizations to help overcome persistent obstacles to integrating behavioral and mental health care into primary care practices and expand access to vital treatments for more patients. The goal is for the patient to receive mental health care within the primary care office, whether from a psychiatrist, other mental health professionals or a combination, using a team-based approach.
During a recent BHI Collaborative webinar hosted by the AMA, three physician experts discussed how mental health professionals and primary care physicians can work together to provide coordinated, culturally informed and equitable care for patients no matter their race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation or gender identity.
During the hour-long webinar—“Advancing health equity through BHI”—three physicians on the front lines offered a number of ideas on how to support patients who need mental health care and what physicians can do now to help make equity part of their practices. (author introduction)