Why Practice Collaborative Care?

The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) has a robust evidence base with over eighty randomized controlled trials showing it is the best at treating depression in many populations and settings. CoCM is beneficial for Primary Care Providers (PCPs) and their patients because it offers an established evidence base, better medical outcomes, help with challenging patient cases, faster improvement, and the collaboration of a team.

We highly encourage that this document be shared with PCPs, stakeholders, and others looking to implement CoCM.

Primary Care Provider (PCP) Role Description in Collaborative Care

The role of a primary care provider (PCP) in Collaborative Care is to oversee all aspects of the patient’s behavioral health care including encouraging the patient’s participation, prescribing medications, and making referrals to specialty mental health care when needed. They work in close consultation and collaboration with the patient’s Behavioral Health Care Manager and to a much lesser extent, the designated Psychiatric Consultant.

Primary Care Provider Role Handout

Primary care providers (PCP) identify and engage patients in collaborative care, make diagnoses, and treat patients. This handout describes the role of the PCP in more detail.

Applying the Integrated Care Approach: Skills for the PCP

Developed in conjunction with the AIMS Center, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) offers a 2-hour course outlining essential skills for a primary care provider within a Collaborative Care program. The course aims to help PCPs 1) understand the Collaborative Care model and develop skills to work with a psychiatric consultant and 2) strengthen behavioral health skills for a primary care setting.

This course is free and participants are eligible to earn Continuing Medical Education credits.

See also Collaborative Care for Primary Care Providers.

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.