Psychiatric consultation and collaboration

Overcoming resistance to the stigma of psychiatric care is a first step in merging mental health care with primary care. The practitioner's role in socializing clients who could potentially benefit from psychiatric care is vital in gaining acceptance for mental health care. The socialization process should address reasons for mental health care, elaborate on the client's choices in selecting a suitable therapist and reassure the client that the primary care provider will maintain a collaborative relationship with the therapist. For those clients or situations that cannot be referred to a specialist, psychiatric consultation models are useful alternatives for the primary care provider. Regularly scheduled meetings with a psychiatric consultant provide time to discuss clients, assessment techniques, intervention strategies or impediments to the delivery of mental health care. Increased knowledge of mental health practices will improve case finding and implementation of psychotherapeutic plans.