The Behavioral Health Specialist in Primary Care: Skills for Integrated Practice

Patients with chronic conditions often need psychosocial support and brief counseling to help them make the lifestyle and behavioral changes required to prevent disease complications. This innovative text, with contributions from respected clinicians and researchers in all arenas of behavioral health, provides comprehensive training for all health professionals—including those in medicine, nursing, social work, mental health, and clinical and health psychology—who desire targeted evidence-based training in behavioral health skills. Rich case examples drawn from typical patient presentations demonstrate the relationship between physical and psychological health and the complexity of behavioral change in chronic illness.

This text is a timely, relevant, and practical resource for all members of the primary care team. It prepares team members to work in the model of patient-centered integrated care in accordance with the recommendations of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) medical home standards for identifying patient needs and providing coordinated and comprehensive patient care. The book focuses on knowledge and skills needed for working with the most common chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, chronic pain, cardiovascular conditions, sleep disorders, geriatric conditions, cancer-related conditions, and substance abuse. It includes chapters on epidemiological trends in chronic illness and systems medicine. Theories of health behavior and behavioral change and evidence-based interventions provide a foundation for skill development, followed by detailed coverage of the requirements for behavioral management of specific chronic conditions. Sample referrals and consultation notes provide concrete examples of how the behavioral health specialist might respond to a referral.

KEY FEATURES:

• Provides comprehensive graduate-level training for the role of Behavioral Health Specialist
• Describes the health promotion and counseling skills needed to function as part of an integrated health team
• Focuses on proficiencies needed for working with common chronic conditions
• Addresses the psychosocial components of primary care disorders
• Includes case examples demonstrating the relationship between physical and psychological health and the complexity of behavioral change in chronic illness