Individual’s behavioral health needs exist along a continuum, with differing and overlapping challenges at varying points. Recognizing this, the U.S. Institute of Medicine created the Behavioral Health Continuum of Care Model. This model identifies the numerous types of behavioral health services that exist and illustrates the connections between them. Substance use prevention is a key component of this continuum. Additionally, all the facets of behavioral health are a key component to overall health and wellness. Recognizing this, SAMHSA and other stakeholders have undertaken many efforts to better integrate behavioral health and physical health services. It is important for prevention professionals to understand how their work fits into the overall behavioral health services landscape, how behavioral health can integrate with physical health services, and opportunities to improve both. This two-part webinar series will discuss these topics.
This webinar will explore the concept of behavioral and physical health services integration. It will examine the implications that integration has for the behavioral health continuum overall and for substance use prevention specifically. It will review how integration can improve service delivery and outcomes as well as share frameworks for integration efforts to follow. The webinar will discuss the potential impacts that integration can have on prevention and the ways in which it can expand the scope and reach of services. Lastly, it will explain the challenges facing integration efforts and identify opportunities and strategies to address these challenges.