The Meadows Institute Spotlights Integrated Behavioral Health Care on “Health Uncensored With Dr. Drew.”

Dr. Drew brought national attention to integrated behavioral health care on an episode of his Fox Business program that aired on May 5, 2024. Andy Keller, the president and CEO of the Meadows Institute, and Roshni Koli, the chief medical officer, joined Dr. Drew to explain the advantages of this innovative approach to mental health care in front of a national audience.

The Meadows Institute’s Dr. Andy Keller and Dr. Roshni Koli joined Dr. Drew last Sunday to discuss integrated behavioral health care (full segment above)

What is integrated behavioral health care? “The collaborative care model is a way that children and families can have access to a psychiatrist and a behavioral health care manager through their pediatrician’s office,” said Dr. Koli. “It allows families to address mental health and physical health care needs all in one place.”

By elevating mental health care alongside physical care, doctors are in a better position to address mental health needs early, which leads to better outcomes. After all, mental illness is a pediatric disease: 50 percent of mental health needs begin by the age of 14, and 75 percent appear by the age of 24. However, more than 60 percent of all children do not receive treatment for depression. 

As part of integrated care, a behavioral health care manager works in the pediatrician’s office and helps screen children and teenagers for mental health needs, all without a referral. The behavioral health care manager works closely with the pediatrician and consulting psychiatrist to administer validated assessment tools, track progress over time, and coordinate care. That means a seamless process for families and the ability to assess needs in their earliest stages, before they reach a crisis.

“Patients and families want to see care in one place,” said Dr. Koli. “They trust their pediatrician, who many times has known them since birth. This approach meets children and families where they are at.”

In addition to providing better outcomes, the model helps address workforce shortages and the challenge some families face when seeking care. 

“We have over nine million individuals in health care systems that are ramping this up,” said Dr. Keller. “And for every child psychiatrist who is embedded in this model, they can serve eight times as many children.”

To learn more about this approach, visit https://mmhpi.org/topics/educational-resources/collaborative-care-model/