Integrated primary care psychology training programs: Challenges and strategies

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Health
• Primary Care Psychology Training
• Interprofessional Education

Background:

• Integrating behavioral health into primary care enhances patient outcomes for those with comorbid conditions.
• A shortage of trained behavioral health professionals hinders the widespread adoption of integrated care models.
• Professional psychology training programs are vital for recruiting, retaining, and developing skilled providers for primary care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify strategies and challenges in psychology training programs for integrated primary care.
• To understand teaching practices and program resource impacts on training quality.
• To inform the development of sustainable integrated primary care psychology training.

Main Methods:

• Conducted semistructured interviews with 12 licensed psychologists overseeing nine integrated primary care psychology training programs.
• Included internship and postdoctoral level programs across Washington State.
• Analyzed interview data using a thematic approach.

Main Results:

• Training involved onboarding, modeling, shadowing, interprofessional education, flexible supervision, and safe learning environments.
• Key challenges included balancing supervision types, adapting to telehealth, and aligning trainee expectations.
• Programs faced funding instability due to multiple sources, billing barriers for trainees, and lack of budgetary control.

Conclusions:

• Synergistic support at program, organizational, and system/policy levels is essential.
• Alignment of teaching activities with clinical practice is needed for robust training.
• Investment is crucial for the growth and sustainability of integrated primary care psychology training programs.