The Behavioral Health Integration Implementation Guide is the most recent addition to the landmark series of Safety Net Medical Home Initiative implementation guides produced by Qualis Health to help primary care practices become Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH). The guide offers concrete strategies on behavioral health integration including creating a vision, building integrated care teams, monitoring progress, and providing population-level accountability, particularly important for organizations implementing Collaborative Care. For organizations looking for guidance and coaching that goes beyond this resource, the AIMS Center offers a wide range of coaching and implementation support.
Audience: Administrator
Example Psychiatric Consultant Services Contract
An example of a Psychiatric Consultant services agreement between a Community Mental Health Center and a Federally Qualified Health Center for organizations that may be interested in contracting for Psychiatric Consult services.
Please note: Contract language and template example is provided with permission from Valley Cities Behavioral Health Care.
Quick Guide on Bundled Payments for Behavioral Health Integration Services
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Medicare payments for services provided by primary care providers for patients participating in a Collaborative Care program or receiving other behavioral health integration services. This handout summarizes the four AMA CPT® codes that can be used to bill for these services.
The payment structure may be used to treat patients with any behavioral health condition that is being treated by the billing practitioner, including substance use disorders.
Quick Guide on Payments for Behavioral Health Integration Services in Federally Qualified Health Centers and Rural Health Clinics
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published final rules that allow Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) to bill for Behavioral Health Integration services, Chronic Care Management, and the Collaborative Care Model.
Basic Coding for Integrated Behavioral Health Care
There are different ways to bill for integrated behavioral health care depending on your model and staffing. This handout gives a brief overview of basic CPT and Medicare billing codes for behavioral health integration and Collaborative Care.
Remember to check with your state and all payers to determine the necessary qualifications for the designated billing providers. Not all states or payers reimburse for every code.
Behavioral Health Integration Services Fact Sheet
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have an updated fact sheet detailing codes that can be used to bill for behavioral health integration (BHI) and Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) services.
Integrated Care: Creating Effective Mental and Primary Health Care Teams
Integrated Care: Creating Effective Mental Health and Primary Health Care Teams provides the first comprehensive guide for teams to integrate effective mental health care into primary care clinics. Edited by a team of UW Medicine mental health experts, it includes practical information, skills, and clinical approaches needed to implement Collaborative Care, an evidence-based model of integrated care developed at the University of Washington. Importantly, it provides a common resource and framework for all members of the care team including care managers, psychiatrists, primary care providers, and administrators. Editors include UW psychiatrists Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD, Jurgen Unutzer, MD, PhD, MA, and the late Wayne Katon, MD, as well as UW psychologist Kari Stephens, PhD.
Find resources for implementation within the free Integrated Care Online Appendix. These include a CoCM readiness checklist, BHCM documentation templates with examples, job descriptions, links to screening and symptom monitoring tools, and more. Please note that the Integrated Care Online Appendix was last updated in 2016 and there may be more current versions of items elsewhere in our resource library. Email uwaims@uw.edu with specific questions.
Clinic Implementation Team Lead Description
The Clinic Implementation Team Lead facilitates implementation and leads the Clinic Implementation Team (CIT). The CIT is created when a medical practice is planning to implement Collaborative Care. The document below outlines the CIT Leads’ key responsibilities, as well as the personal and professional characteristics that are most desirable in this role.
Primary Care Provider Champion Role Description
The Primary Care Provider (PCP) Champion plays a key role on the Clinic Implementation Team (CIT). The CIT is created when a medical practice is planning to implement Collaborative Care. This document outlines the PCP Champion’s key responsibilities with the team and their PCP colleagues, as well as the personal and professional characteristics that are most desirable in the role.
Pediatric Collaborative Care Implementation Guide
This guide is for multi-disciplinary, primary care teams seeking to improve care access and behavioral health outcomes for children and adolescents through implementing Collaborative Care. Centered around the core principles of Collaborative Care, this guide serves as a roadmap to healthcare leaders, managers, clinicians, and staff in primary care as they:
- start a new Collaborative Care program, or
- expand an existing integrated care or Collaborative Care program to pediatrics, and/or
- partner with community and behavioral health agencies.
For training support and technical assistance implementing Pediatric Collaborative Care reach out to the AIMS Center at: uwaims@uw.edu. Research has shown that clinics receiving implementation support from the AIMS Center have significantly better patient outcomes.