Q&A: Integrating Behavioral Healthcare with Dr. Aaron Williams, Chief Behavioral Health Officer
Behavioral health can have a major influence on physical health and prove critically important to helping individuals lead happier, healthier lives. That’s why it’s important for medical and behavioral care to be integrated. At Barbour Community Health Association (BCHA), we offer behavioral health services on-site at our clinics and via telehealth to ensure patients receive holistic care and experience the best possible outcomes. We asked Dr. Aaron Williams, Chief Behavioral Health Officer, to explain BCHA’s approach to bringing together medical and behavioral health providers to better serve patients.
What does it mean when behavioral healthcare is integrated into a healthcare setting?
Behavioral health integration involves having behavioral health providers available to medical providers to help treat patients. Our physical health impacts the way our brains operate, and how we think and feel about our health has a direct impact on treatment outcomes, recovery times, and overall outlook. By including behavioral health in our medical operations, we can improve our patients’ quality of life.
Why is this integration so important?
While we have historically separated the two, both mental and physical health contribute to one’s overall health state. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise to see a direct relationship between the two.
Many medical conditions impact how we think and feel, including conditions like chronic pain, heart disease, asthma, and diabetes, to name a few. Also, research has shown that mindset plays a large role in health outcomes as it relates to cancer treatment and care, while depression symptoms can alert doctors to chemical imbalances. There are multiple points of mental and physical health overlap when it comes to overall health.
What are some of the biggest challenges patients face when behavioral health is treated separately from primary care?
One of the biggest challenges is communication. Sometimes behavioral health clinicians and medical providers don’t always speak the same “language.” But when behavioral health providers are connected to medical care teams, there is ongoing, dynamic communication about a patient’s health that is difficult to achieve in other settings.
What behavioral health interventions have you seen that have been particularly effective when combined with traditional medical care?
Currently, BCHA offers behavioral interventions that focus on promoting better medical health outcomes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), for example, is a great way to address difficulties with sleep that can be an effective alternative to sleep medications. Additionally, all our therapists have experience in helping people develop healthier habits and become more attentive when it comes to their health. While we have some clinicians who can provide therapy to complement medical pain management interventions, we are working to train more providers so we can expand this offering.
In what ways does this approach support preventive care and early intervention?
Like what physicians say about physical health outcomes, the earlier a person addresses emerging mental health challenges, the sooner they may benefit from symptom relief. Furthermore, addressing symptoms earlier may help avoid compounded effects. For example, people who practice better stress management may be able to lessen the likelihood of conditions like hypertension.
While not all factors related to health conditions are controllable, playing a more active role in addressing the behavioral health factors that a person can control often produces positive results.
