Behavioral Health Care Manager Essentials: A Self-Guided Overview

Each of the seven sections below include learning objectives, articles, videos, and other introductory information about the section topic. Click on any or all sections that you would like to learn more about. 

Objective 1: Learn the foundational concepts of the collaborative care approach, including its evidence base and core principles

• Explore the evidence base for collaborative care
• Read about the core principles that differentiate collaborative care from other behavioral health integration models
• Watch Daniel's Story: An Introduction to Collaborative Care to learn about Daniel's experience being treated by a collaborative care team
• Watch an Introduction to Collaborative Care (25 minutes)
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of members of the collaborative care team

Objective 2: Understand the main tasks of collaborative care, including identifying and engaging patients, initiating treatment, outcome tracking, treatment adjustment, and relapse prevention planning

• Watch the Care Team Training module
• Read about patient tracking systems and registries that support measurement-based behavioral health care:
  • AIMS Depression Tracker
  • Care Management Tracking System
  • Patient Tracking Spreadsheet
  • Customized Electronic Health Record
• Complete the Task Summary Worksheet to learn more about the tasks of a behavioral health care manager

Objective 3: Learn the roles and responsibilities of the collaborative care team members

• Primary Care Provider
• Psychiatric Consultant
• Behavioral Health Care Manager
• Patient

Objective 1: Understand the core responsibilities of the care manager

• Read the Care Manager Role and Job Description
• Watch the Introduction to the Care Manager Role video lecture (39 minutes)

Objective 2: Learn about the care manager’s role in patient engagement, supporting treatment adherence, planning and facilitating follow-up and treatment to target, and relapse prevention planning

• Watch the four-part workflow demonstration series:
  • Part 1: Initial Visit (9 minutes)
  • Part 2: Patient Education & Treatment Planning (4 minutes) 
  • Part 3: Treatment Monitoring (5 minutes)
  • Part 4: Relapse Prevention (6 minutes)

Objective 3: Learn about common screening and measurement tools

• PHQ-9 Depression Scale
• GAD-7 Anxiety Disorder Sub-Scale 
• PCL-5 for PTSD 
• CIDI for Bipolar Disorder

Objective 4: Explore some tools that can help you more effectively deliver integrated behavioral health care

• Learn some best practices about talking with patients about the PHQ-9 for teaching other staff members (such as front desk staff)
• Relapse prevention forms
• Discussing trauma during initial assessment
• Emergency management resources
• Implementation resources

Objective 1: Understand why having a registry is critical to providing measurement-based care

• Refer to the key registry functions that are required in a population-based tracking system for population-based tracking
• Review a PowerPoint on registry functions 

Objective 2: Learn about ways to structure a regular, systematic psychiatric case review process

• Consider how you will structure your case reviews with the primary care provider and psychiatric consultant
• Watch a video by Dr. Hsiang Huang modeling an ideal consultation hour between a psychiatric consultant and care manager (6 minutes)

Objective 1: Learn about brief behavioral interventions proven to be effective in primary care

• Review the types of behavioral interventions that are suitable for primary care settings. 

Objective 2: Understand the evidence base for using problem solving treatment (PST)

• Read about the evidence base for PST 

Objective 3: Understand key PST fundamentals

• Learn about the training components of PST
• Consider enrolling in an AIMS Center PST certification course

Objective 1: Understand the care manager’s role and responsibilities in supporting medication treatment 

• Review the commonly prescribed psychotropic medications handout

Objective 2: Learn effective ways to discuss treatment options with patients, and monitor their response to treatment over time

• Watch a patient education video about antidepressants (4 minutes)

Objective: Understand the evidence base and other emerging research on the application of collaborative care principles to treat special populations in various health care settings

• Patients with Cancer 
  • Read about how collaborative care can be used to effectively treat cancer patients diagnosed with depression
  • Learn more about training opportunities for implementing an integrated psychosocial oncology program in your setting
• Military Personnel and Veterans 
  • Read about the STEPS-UP project, which evaluated the effectiveness of integrated care with military personnel diagnosed with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression.
  • Learn about integrated care programs at the VA such as the Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) program available at most larger VA primary care venues
• Patients with comorbid medical conditions
  • Read about the Care of Mental, Physical and Substance Use Syndromes (COMPASS) project
  • Peruse the intervention guide used in the COMPASS intervention and published by the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. 
• Adolescents and Children
  • Read the paper published by the Journal of the American Medical Association detailing the effectiveness of collaborative care on depressed adolescents (aged 13-17)
  • Explore integrated care programs for children (aged 0-12) that are available in your area through the Pediatric Integrated Care Resource Center’s program library
• Pregnant and Parenting Women
  • Read about the Depression Attention for Women Now (DAWN) Program, which used collaborative care to effectively treat depressed pregnant women in OB-GYN clinics
  • Explore the Washington State’s Mental Health Integration Program for Moms (MHIP Moms) project

Integrated Care: Creating Effective Mental and Primary Health Care Teams Book
It is strongly recommended that all clinical sites purchase a copy of the practical reference book "Integrated Care: Creating Effective Mental and Primary Health Care Teams" to have readily available for the Care Manager and the rest of the Collaborative Care Team. 

National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH)
The NIMH has many federal and non-federal resources available to practices looking to implement integrated or collaborative care services in their practice. 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA provides resources and information for integrated care programs including integration resources about children with chronic illnesses.

American Psychiatric Association (APA)
The APA has many resources devoted to the integration of behavioral health care in primary care. While the information on the APA’s website is viewed through the psychiatric consultant lens, it can be valuable information to give care managers a comprehensive overview of the care team.

Kennedy Forum 
The Kennedy Forum, founded by the Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy, published two issue briefs calling for the integration of mental health and physical care and the use of measurement-based care in the delivery of behavioral health services.