Name
Beyond Access: Redesigning Integrated Behavioral Health in a Rural FQHC Through Technology, Accountability, and Team-Based Care
Description

Despite significant investment in expanding behavioral health access, many Federally Qualified Health Centers struggle to translate screening and referral efforts into measurable population-level outcomes. This session describes how Oak Orchard Health, a multi-site rural FQHC in Western New York, redesigned its integrated behavioral health model by embedding standardized screening, automated referral pathways, and real-time performance dashboards directly into the electronic health record. A cross-trained care management team integrating Collaborative Care, Chronic Care Management, and social care coordination created closed-loop workflows and shared accountability for follow-up. The approach increased follow-up after positive depression screens from 22% to 79% in under two years and expanded social determinants of health outreach to thousands of patients. Participants will learn practical strategies for building technology-enabled, financially sustainable models that improve behavioral health outcomes and reduce disparities in underserved populations.

Co-Authors
Dr. Danielle Renodin-Mead
Content Level
All Audience
Tags
Collaborative Care Model of Integrated Care, SBIRT Model of Integrated Care, Social determinants of health or SDoH
Session Type
Concurrent
Objective 1
Describe how standardized behavioral health and social determinants of health screening can be embedded within electronic health record workflows to support measurement-based care in Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Objective 2
Apply technology-enabled workflows to integrate behavioral health and social determinants of health screening into primary care.
Objective 3
Implement strategies for automated referrals, closed-loop follow-up, and performance tracking to improve outcomes and reduce disparities in underserved populations.
Content Reference 1

Unützer J, et al. Collaborative Care for Depression in Primary Care: Evidence and Implementation. JAMA. 2002;288(22):2836–2845.

Content Reference 2

Babor TF, et al. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT): Toward a Public Health Approach to the Management of Substance Abuse. Substance Abuse. 2007;28(3):7–30.

Content Reference 3

World Health Organization. Social Determinants of Health: The Solid Facts, 2nd Edition. Copenhagen: WHO; 2003.