When Mental Health Meets Primary Care: Transforming Addiction Treatment

In this episode, Dr. Casey Grover explores how integrating behavioral health and addiction services into primary care settings can transform healthcare delivery and dramatically improve access to treatment. Dr. Grover speaks to psychologists Patti Robinson and Jeff Reiter about their work creating integrated primary care practices and clinics. • Healthcare in the US is siloed, forcing patients to navigate separate systems for physical health, mental health, and addiction• Mental health specialization creates artificial barriers when generalist counselors could help many addiction patients• Integrated care places behavioral health providers in primary care settings with same-day, brief (15-30 min) appointments• Primary care doctors welcome the support while mental health providers need retraining to adapt to the flexible model• Physical clinic design matters—providers should be within 15-20 feet of each other for true integration• "Pathways" can be created for specific populations like those with opioid use disorder• Patients overwhelmingly appreciate the convenience and comprehensive approach of integrated careVisit speaktoyourdoctor.com for resources to share with your medical provider about implementing integrated behavioral health services.To contact Dr. Grover: [email protected]