Collaborative Care Stories

Cancer care providers gathered around table discussing patient care

Collaborative Care in Cancer Treatment

Over 1.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year, and about 7 million people currently live with a cancer diagnosis in the United States. Studies show that over one in three men and women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. While these numbers are startling, advancements in treatment now help cancer patients live longer, with over two-thirds of diagnosed patients surviving 5 years or more. There is an increasing push toward not just maintaining a patient's life, but their quality of life.

Financial Modeling Workbook

Planning for the Future: Developing a Sustainability Plan

Does your organization have a plan in place to build and sustain your integrated behavioral health services? Do you know how you intend to fund your program in the next year? In three years? It is important to start planning early how to sustain and capture revenue for your integrated health care delivery model. As you plan for an integrated model of care, consider all the ways in which delivering effective integrated treatment will add value to your organization and can help your bottom line.

Measurement-Based HEDIS Depression Measures

Measurement-based care is a framework in which validated symptom rating scales and screening tools are routinely used in clinical practice to inform treatment decisions and adjustments. The most widely used tool is the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item scale (PHQ-9).

Crystal Wong, MD

Provider Spotlight: Crystal Wong, MD

Only months after opening, the UW Neighborhood Ravenna Clinic in Seattle, Washington began offering Collaborative Care to its patients as part of the Behavioral Health Integration Program (BHIP). A young, vibrant care team was recruited to support the effort, including the hiring of Dr. Crystal Wong as Clinic Chief. 

Elizabeth Collage. Photo: Courtesy of the John A. Hartford Foundation

Caring for Patients with Trauma History in Collaborative Care

Trauma comes in many different forms and is much more prevalent than people think. Statistics vary, but the consensus is that fifty to ninety percent of adults and children are exposed to at least one psychologically traumatic event at some point in their lives. Many types of trauma increase the risk of health, social and emotional problems, and there is a direct link between childhood trauma and adult onset of chronic disease, including depression.

El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center

Task Sharing in Collaborative Care

One of the most promising approaches to further improve the reach and effectiveness of behavioral health care is the systematic involvement of family members, peers, community health workers, and community-based organizations.

Behavioral health interventions in primary care starts with engagement.

Evidence-Based Behavioral Interventions in Primary Care

Although there is growing sentiment that strengthening behavioral health care services in primary care is critically needed, the majority of existing behavioral interventions were developed for settings very different from the fast paced environment of primary care.

Angel Mathis, ARNP working with Daniel during a follow-up visit.

Collaborative Care Experiences: A Primary Care Provider's Perspective

Angel Mathis, ARNP was the primary care provider (PCP) featured in Daniel’s Story, a video chronicling a young man named Daniel and his journey with depression. Angel worked with a Collaborative Care team to deliver Daniel’s depression care at County Doctor, a community health center in the Mental Health Integration Program.

Case Study: Heartbreak and Lessons Learned

Case Study: Heartbreak and Lessons Learned

Implementing effective mental health services in primary care is hard. The AIMS Center has witnessed this repeatedly through our work helping clinics implement Collaborative Care, a chronic care model adapted for mental health. In our experience, clinics committed to measurement-based mental health care find solutions to the inevitable challenges inherent in practice change, but some clinics falter along the way. Examining why yields useful lessons that future clinics can use to improve their chances of success.

Fidelity to Collaborative Care can Further Help Low-income Mothers

The mission of the AIMS Center is to improve the health of populations by advancing effective, integrated behavioral healthcare. Since our inception, our projects have helped a wide range of populations access and receive effective mental health care. In a recent project, we worked with a group of high risk mothers in partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC).

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