Promoting the integration of primary and behavioral health care in three underserved Michigan communities
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is collaborating with community partners to promote the integration of primary and behavioral health care services in three underserved and disparate counties across the state—Barry County, Saginaw County, and Shiawassee County—all of which hold federal Health Professional Shortage Area designations for both mental health and primary care.
CHRT provides implementation support and is the evaluator of Michigan’s five-year primary and behavioral health care integration initiative, funded by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The goal is to integrate primary and behavioral health care in clinical settings and to improve care for children, adolescents, and adults with a serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, substance use disorder, or co-occurring conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.