Integrated Behavioral Healthcare A Guide To Effective Intervention

Integrated behavioral healthcare is a healthcare service delivery system in which behavioral healthcare is coordinated with primary medical care. Unlike older approaches to patient care in which mental health professionals worked separately from medical professionals, integrated care recognizes that many patients present to medical professionals with behavioral problems. For example, diabetics or persons suffering from chronic pain may experience depression. Thus patients often need some combination of both behavioral and medical treatment. Integrated care attempts to overcome the traditional division of care so that a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach is taken to provide more appropriate care for patients. In this comprehensive, step-by-step guide, a team of national experts in integrated behavioral healthcare discusses the economic, clinical, administrative, and procedural issues involved in designing, implementing, and maintaining a successful integrated care delivery system. Among the specific topics discussed are psychopharmacology; the Biodyne model (focused, intermittent psychotherapy throughout the life cycle); guidelines for the treatment of major depression, panic disorder, substance abuse, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; disease management groups; treatment adherence; patient access to behavioral healthcare through the primary care provider; and treating special problems related to the elderly and women's healthcare. This clearly written, well-organized, and thoroughly researched guidebook will be of great interest to researchers and practitioners in psychology, medicine, nursing, social work, psychiatry, and education.Cummings, Nicholas A. is the author of 'Integrated Behavioral Healthcare A Guide To Effective Intervention', published 2005 under ISBN 9781591023258 and ISBN 1591023254.