Background
Integrating primary and behavioral health care is an evidence-based practice worthy of replication. We know little, however, about the workforce responsible for delivering primary care-based behavioral health services and what procedures they use in integrated settings. This project uses analysis of claims data to describe the types of behavioral health providers that deliver integrated services in primary care settings in rural and urban areas in ambulatory primary care sites in Michigan in 2020 and 2021. These services include screening and treatment, care management, MAT, and telebehavioral health services.
The main goal of this project is to understand the types of behavioral health providers that integrate services into the primary care setting in rural and urban areas in Michigan.
Findings
In contrast to survey data that showed a large increase in the prevalence of depression and anxiety from 2019 to 2021, the proportion of members in this study who had any BH diagnosis only rose 1 percentage point during the same time period. However, there was a 10% increase in the proportion of members with a BH diagnosis who received services for their BH conditions during this time period. This trend may be due in part to broad increases in the use of telebehavioral health services and the overall need for BH care as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Going forward, it may be key for policymakers to act to support telehealth as a necessary and effective form of providing care BH services even as COVID-19 becomes endemic.
