Mental health and substance use disorders are the leading causes of disease burden in America. In 2021, more than one in five American adults experienced a diagnosed mental illness. Nearly one-third of the US population, while not addicted, engages in the risky use of addictive substances in ways that threaten health and safety. Another 16% meet diagnostic criteria for addiction, more than the share of the population with heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. This painful reality is exacerbated by the burden of comorbidities faced by people with mental health and substance use disorders who also suffer from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, and HIV, among other general health concerns. US residents across the nation are experiencing accelerating toxic stresses due to jobs, income, housing insecurity, poverty, and other struggles. One-half of individuals with a substance use disorder have a mental illness, and 30% of individuals with a mental illness have a substance use disorder. Patients with a behavioral health (BH) diagnosis have higher rates of medical problems.

Patients with comorbid BH and medical needs are among the most vulnerable patients in the healthcare system. BH comorbidity overlaid with severe illness is associated with other psychosocial vulnerabilities and affects BH and medical outcomes. Untreated behavioral health conditions largely influence recidivism. Deaths in patients with mental illness, substance use disorder, and comorbid medical problems remain alarming. In primary care clinics, general health comorbidities (including BH) are often not adequately detected or treated due to limited use of general health screening tools, staffing shortages, inadequate training on general health condition management, and poorly established relationships between behavioral health and primary care providers.

Integrated healthcare is the care a patient experiences as a result of a team of primary care and behavioral health clinicians working together with patients and families, using a systematic and cost-effective approach to provide patient-centered care for a defined population.

The Integrated Healthcare Project at the Nebraska Medical Association, in conjunction with the Nebraska DHHS Division of Behavioral Health, is a physician-led project that promotes the value of integrated healthcare models in primary and behavioral healthcare settings.

We are currently looking to partner with rural primary care clinics interested in integrating or increasing access to behavioral health services on site. We can offer grant funds to help support a behavioral health provider’s position, and we have experts who can offer training and consultation on successful integration models.

As a grant-funded project, some of the things we can do for rural medical sites include:

• Assistance with bringing on a behavioral health provider (therapist, social worker, psychiatric prescriber, etc.) by providing grant funding for one year to get new positions set up.
• Training on integrated healthcare and successful models of integration.
• Access to a psychiatrist for consultation with providers.
• Training and consultation on treating patients with substance use disorders.
• Data collection on outcomes for patients with behavioral health diagnoses.
• Any other assistance a rural primary care clinic needs to increase access to behavioral health services for patients.

Ready to learn more?

Contact:

Project Director Todd Stull, MD, at todds@nebmed.org or 402-917-7132

or

Project Coordinator Will Schmeeckle, MA, at wills@nebmed.org or 402-430-0746

We are happy to meet with you to discuss partnership opportunities!