A Payer-Guided Approach To Widespread Diffusion Of Behavioral Health Homes In Real-World Settings

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Health
• Public Health
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Serious mental illness (SMI) is linked to reduced life expectancy due to co-occurring medical conditions.
• A nonprofit behavioral health managed care organization aimed to improve holistic health and wellness for individuals with SMI.
• Integrating behavioral and physical healthcare is crucial for managing complex health needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative behavioral health home model.
• To compare patient-driven versus provider-driven care approaches within the behavioral health home.
• To assess the impact on patient activation, care engagement, and perceived mental health.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a behavioral health home across eleven community mental health providers.
• Two distinct care models were utilized: patient-driven and provider-driven.
• Data collected from October 2013 to January 2016, employing diffusion strategies for uptake.

Main Results:

• Both patient-driven and provider-driven approaches significantly increased patient activation in care.
• Provider-supported care led to quicker increases in patient activation.
• Engagement in primary and specialty care, and perceived mental health status improved significantly.

Conclusions:

• The behavioral health home model effectively improved patient activation and care engagement.
• The innovative approaches demonstrated success in enhancing holistic health outcomes for individuals with SMI.
• The model's success facilitated its expansion to numerous additional providers.