Novel approaches to providing access to behavioral health care, like collaborative care and integrated behavioral health primary and social care models, have shown short and long-term positive patient and family outcomes in frontier, rural, and urban communities. These approaches are complex and rely upon coordination, systems-based management, efficient communications, team and community relationships, and virtual access to critical information. Development and expansion of these models requires a workforce with the social and professional skills and credentials to deliver this type of behavioral health care. Estimating the costs of and payment for these novel models of care will further develop the workforce needed to expand and sustain delivery of evidence-based behavioral health services.

This report documents a sample of existing behavioral health care models, required workforce, and current financing. A resource use model explores existing and proposed fee, bundled, value-based, and capitated payment models. This study helps to inform managers and policy makers at the local, state, and federal levels of viable financing arrangements to promote these and future novel approaches to delivering high quality, accessible, sustained behavioral health care to communities and vulnerable populations.