The Behavioral Health Crisis in Primary Care

Abstract As front-line providers, primary care physicians and advanced practice providers often diagnose and manage numerous behavioral health (BH) conditions and treatment opportunities are not always optimized. Finding ways to detect and treat routine and acute BH conditions in settings that serve as a “touch point” is paramount. Over the last decade there has been significant advancement with integrating BH services into primary care. Primary care is the heart and soul of medicine—it is the place where families come to seek safe harbor and solutions for their health. As the home for all medical care, it is imperative that primary care providers (PCPs) have support and training to meet not only the medical needs, but also the BH needs of their communities. This book provides a short-hand resource to better equip PCPs to address the BH needs of the community at large, needs they may not envision as part of their practice, but care they have been tasked to provide.