It has been suggested that psychology’s role in this post-truth era should be to help people differentiate between beliefs and facts by studying and developing the meta-cognitive skills necessary for searching, evaluating, and applying information. This would entail developing practical tools to foster critical thinking and reflexivity and exploring ways to make psychological information accessible […]
Doctors Within Borders
It is nighttime, the sky is cloudy, and the sea is dark. Giant radio antennae gyrate as a voice over a speaker says, “Your position” to obtain the boat coordinates. Of course, the question can also serve as an interpellation for the spectator on their position on the issue. Rosi’s camera accompanies members of the […]

Implementation of Combined PCBH and CCBHC Models: Key Considerations
1. Clarify Overlapping and Distinct Goals 2. Leverage the CCBHC Funding to Enhance PCBH Capacity 3. Enhance Care Coordination Across Both Models 4. Address Workforce Challenges 5. Leverage Technology and Data 6. Communicate a Unified Vision to Staff and Leadership 7. Culture, culture, culture! References Reiter, J. T., Dobmeyer, A. C., & Hunter, C. L. […]
Gathering Family Perspectives on Integrated Care
Patients experience primary care firsthand, offering valuable insights into the accessibility, scope, coordination, and continuity of services. Their feedback can help identify gaps, refine innovations, and ensure that enhancements truly improve patient-centered care. By integrating patient perspectives, healthcare systems can more effectively tailor and assess improvements in the 4Cs, leading to more responsive, efficient, and […]

Making Science Happen in Challenging Times
References Hodges, A. (1983). Alan Turing: The Enigma. Princeton University Press. http://www.press.princeton.edu Kuhn, T.S. (1962, 1970, 1996, 2012). The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. University of Chicago Press. http://www.press.uchicao.edu Raman, I.M. & Ferster, D.L. (2021). The Annotated Hodgkin & Huxley: A Reader’s Guide. Princeton University Press. http://www.press.princeton.edu Schrodinger, E. (1944, 1958, 1967). What is Life? Cambridge […]

Lessons from the Land: Connecting Agronomy and Integrated Healthcare
The SWAPA Framework One of the key tools my husband’s team uses is SWAPA, which stands for Soil, Water, Air, Plants, and Animals. This framework evaluates land health by examining the relationships between these five elements. Each one is important on its own, but together, they reveal the full picture of an ecosystem’s well-being. As […]

Advancing Integrated Care: Bridging Research and Implementation
Integrated Care Models Improve Outcomes for Co-Occurring Diabetes and Depressive Symptoms People with diabetes are about twice as likely to develop depressive symptoms. Further, people with diabetes report that their diabetes care teams rarely (less than 50% of the time) assess their mental health generally or their depressive symptoms more specifically. When people present with […]

BHI: Been There, Done That, Got the T-Shirt
One other thing that made this meeting memorable was the appearance of T-shirts that express loyalty to a model of integrated care. It started with the PCBH T-shirts, but by the end of the conference I was seeing CoCM T-shirts as well. This made literal the process that I have been thinking about for several […]

GATHER for Integrated Care
A few months ago, I was experiencing some significant stress in multiple microsystems of my life and was implementing many of my tried-and-true strategies to ground myself in my values and practice self-compassion. One night at dinner, my children were asking about differences I had in schools. It is important to know that, as the […]
The Intersection of Immigration Policies and Behavioral Health
The review underscores the importance of integrating behavioral health into the public health agenda, opposing the health-detrimental effects of anti-immigration policies and calling for collective efforts to advocate for policy changes. This call for action urges healthcare professionals, policymakers, and advocates to evaluate the intersection of immigration policies and behavioral health, emphasizing that global health […]

Community as Resistance: US Healthcare Teams Need Strengthening In Turbulent Political Times
I’m going to make an argument here that the antidote to political uncertainty and rapid change in the healthcare landscape is community, particularly local community. And in so doing I’m also tying us to a promise that this community, the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association (CFHA), will be a nexus of moral strength and innovation for […]

Primary Care 4 U Legislation: A Behavioral Health Perspective
The following was prepared by the UMass Center for Integrated Primary Care, for more information about CIPC courses for behavioral clinicians, physicians, and other members of the primary care team, visit: www.umassmed.edu/cipc Daniel Mullin, PsyD MPH, director of the Center for Integrated Primary Care (CIPC), began his involvement with primary care transformation more than a […]
Being of Two Minds: The Perks of Ambivalence
A Shakespearean Influence Hamlet’s poignant dilemma, “To be or not to be,” has significantly contributed to illustrating ambivalence as an integral part of the human experience. And research has highlighted its role in moderating the relationship between attitudes and behavior. However, there are still questions about when ambivalence leads to more resistance or susceptibility to […]
Choosing Our Ancestors: Planting Seeds for a Flourishing Future
Tracing our Professional Lineage Years ago, I attended a gathering where the late family therapist Lynn Hoffman illustrated a colleague’s professional lineage by mapping out the influential figures in their career in a family tree format, like a genogram. Her friend and colleague Marcelo Pakman, a regular to these reunions, coined this exploration a “retroscope.” […]

Behind the Curtain: Learning The Business of Integrated Care
5 minute read My first job after postdoctoral training was at a family medicine residency program in central North Carolina. It was exactly what I wanted: a combination of direct patient care, graduate medical education, and program development. I took over for Dan Marlowe, another medical family therapist who left to join the faculty at […]

Why Person-Centered Care Should Encompass “Familism”
5 minute read Imagine an older Latina woman we’ll call Maria who is accompanied to her primary care visit for a diabetes check-up by her two adult daughters. Because Maria speaks little English and her provider speaks little Spanish, the daughters immediately start translating for their mother. The daughters also directly answer the provider’s questions […]

Fair Pay in Integrated Behavioral Health: Building a Diverse, Sustainable Workforce
3 minute read I was not ready to negotiate my first, “big boy” salary. Until that point, my pay rates were all decided by policies (e.g., minimum wage, graduate student stipends, teenager allowance). I didn’t have the moxie, or matching clothes, to negotiate. Growing up, salary talk was off the table, quite literally. My parents […]

Why Culture Matters: Insights from an Integrated Care Internship
Five minute read “She was visibly upset while she talked about the confrontation with her brother,” I said. “And then suddenly she stood up, arms wide open, asking for a hug.” “And what did you do?” my clinical supervisor asked. “What else could I do? I gave her a hug!” My supervisor smiled. “I want […]