“Integrated Care” is the systematic coordination of general and behavioral healthcare (http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/about-us/what-is-integrated-care). Ultimately, it is a full integration of mental health, substance abuse and primary care services.
“The idea is that physical and behavioral health problems often occur at the same time. Integrating services to treat both will yield the best results and be the most acceptable and effective approach for those being served.” (Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, Connecting Body & Mind: A Resource Guide to Integrated Health Care in Texas and the U.S.,www.hogg.utexas.edu)
“Last we checked, the brain is connected to the body,” is heard frequently in integrated care discussions. For decades, someone being treated for a mental illness would receive a primary care checkup where their psychiatric medications and mental wellness were never discussed. Likewise, someone could have physical illness, but that was never addressed in relation to their mental illness. Substance Abuse was often treated as a completely separate entity to both mental and physical illness. These aren’t separate entities, however. The mind and body are connected. Integrated care isn’t just necessary, it’s required! Improving communication, improving diagnostics, and ensuring access to care are all crucial pieces of integration.
Change takes time. We’re working on it. We hope you are too.
YOUR stories and YOUR experiences are needed in order to help us identify where integrated care issues exist in Lexington and the Bluegrass. Email us about your experience at namimail@namilex.org.
Additional resources:
http://www.integration.samhsa.gov/about-us/what-is-integrated-care
