Social workers are now doing more of their work in integrated health settings that require them to perform a variety of different roles and skills. As these settings are often more complex, the roles that social workers perform in them is not well understood. This article describes a study which utilized an online survey of…
Co-location of physical and behavioral health is important to integrated care as it facilitates provider communication and continuity of care. However, given the increases in behavioral health and integrated care, our understanding of factors associated with co-location is outdated. This brief describes an update to a past study conducted in 2010 that examined co-location data…
Because 60–80% of all primary care visits include a behavioral health component, providing integrated services in primary care is now considered a priority for health systems as they strive to meet patient needs and improve population health. Integrated care typically involves behavioral healthcare workers such as social workers and psychologists working on teams with primary care…
Providing integrated behavioral health services in primary care is now considered a priority for health systems as 60–80% of all primary care visits include a behavioral health component. Integrated care typically involves behavioral healthcare workers, such as social workers and psychologists, working on teams with primary care providers to help address behavioral health and social…
More social workers in primary care clinics now work as part of integrated behavioral healthcare (IBH) teams. Understanding how many of these social workers are co-located with primary care physicians is important to ensure that planning and training align with current models of care. This article described a review of the data on social worker…
As one of the largest groups of clinically trained mental health providers in the United States, social workers are increasingly deployed on integrated health teams to address patients’ social determinants of health and provide behavioral health interventions. However, information about the specific content of social work practice in new models of healthcare is limited, and…
Evidence supports that integrated behavioral health care improves patient outcomes. Colocation, where health and behavioral health providers work in the same physical space, is a key element of integration, but national rates of colocation are unknown. This article establishes national colocation rates and analyzes variation by primary care provider (PCP) type, practice size, rural/urban setting,…
Social workers are increasingly employed as part of integrated health teams. However, little is known about what barriers to practice social worker face as part of these interprofessional teams and their practice settings. This article describes a study that surveyed 395 social workers across the country who were employed as part of integrated health teams…
The current opioid crisis in the United States is a recognized national health emergency. The number of opioid-related deaths has more than quadrupled since 1999. Over 42,000 individuals died from opioid use in 2016 alone. To combat this epidemic, primary care providers are expanding clients’ access to care, particularly to medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs, also…
Increasing awareness of the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) has prompted health systems to implement strategies to screen for and address patient SDOH. With the increased awareness comes the question of what workforce is needed to implement SDOH screening and related interventions? To answer, this research must be conducted for which healthcare workers screen for…
