Evolving Models of Behavioral Health Integration: Evidence Update 2010-2015

Since 2010, when the Milbank Memorial Fund published its first behavioral health integration (BHI) report, “Evolving Models of Behavioral Health Integration in Primary Care,” the field has advanced conceptually, and there has been a proliferation of research. BHI, the integration of primary care and behavioral health through the collaborative care management model, remains an approach to treatment that appears to improve the health outcomes for people with mental and medical disorders. Policymakers continue to be interested in the topic as they struggle with how best to deliver care and support recovery for people with mental illness or substance abuse disorders.

This new report joins our growing library of BHI publications—and picks up where the 2010 report left off. It provides an updated scan of the literature over a five-year period (2010 to 2015), identifying changes and remaining gaps in the evidence. It also identifies resources to assist policymakers and health care planners in selecting, implementing, and sustaining BHI models. We believe this new report will aid and encourage leaders as they work to develop policies that improve the care and health of people with mental illness.