General Overview
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration in partnership with the Indiana State Department of Health launched an initiative in 2012 to develop a statewide strategic plan to integrate primary and behavioral health care services in Indiana. The advancement of primary care and behavioral health integration has received attention and momentum not only in Indiana but throughout the country. This effort has been promoted nationally through leading federal agencies such as Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Health Resources and Services Administration, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Ongoing field studies and evidentiary research indicates the longitudinal benefits of integration and supports the implication that it has overtime improved patient care, improved health of populations, and reduced the per capita cost of health care.
Integration defined:
The management and delivery of behavioral and physical health services so that clients receive a continuum of preventive and curative services, according to their needs over time and across different levels of the health system.