Introduction to the special issue on integrated pediatric primary care: Placing "how" in the context of now

Abstract

The integration of behavioral health services into pediatric primary care settings has expanded rapidly in recent years, and pediatric psychologists have played a prominent role in this development. As integrated care becomes mainstream, there is a growing need to develop and disseminate pragmatic strategies for maximizing the reach and impact of behavioral services in primary care. This special issue in includes papers focused on 4 central themes: understanding and increasing engagement with integrated primary care services, identifying barriers and facilitators to implementation, reducing health disparities, and workforce development. In this introduction to the special issue, we preview each of these contributions and consider their implications in the context of the 2 great pandemics of our time: COVID-19 and systemic racial injustice. The work included in this special issue provides clear examples of strategies clinicians can use to analyze and improve their clinical services, articulates methods of adapting interventions to particular patient populations, and sets a roadmap for the future of integrated primary care psychology.