Implementing the collaborative care model as part of a countywide initiative

Abstract

This column describes the planning and implementation of an integrated behavioral health project which was facilitated and endorsed by a developing accountable health community, the Washtenaw Health Initiative (WHI). The WHI is a voluntary countywide coalition of academic, community, health system, and county government agencies dedicated to improving access to high-quality health care for low-income, uninsured, and Medicaid populations. When lack of access to mental health services was identified as a pressing concern, the WHI endorsed pilot testing of collaborative care, an evidence-based treatment model, in county safety-net clinics. Challenges, outcomes, and relevance of this initiative to other counties or regional entities are discussed.