Social work and primary health care: an integrative approach

An interinstitutional, interagency Consortium has been formed in Houston to develop an innovative service model and provide interdisciplinary primary care/mental health training. The Houston Consortium Program integrates mental health professionals and trainees into the primary care framework of a neighborhood center serving a low-income, predominatly Mexican-American population. The introduction of mental health, psychosocial, and cross-cultural perspectives to complement the long-standing physiological concerns of health professionals fosters an holistic approach to patient care. The social workers' full participation as members of primary care teams builds upon their traditional training to provide them the experience and skills required to function effectively in the expanded coordinative capacity of health/mental health manager as defined by the President's Commission on Mental Health. It is anticipated that Consortium Program can serve as a heuristic model in the development of a nationwide pattern of comprehensive care.