Name
Welcome Aboard: A structured approach to onboarding Integrated Behavioral Health Providers across multiple settings
Description

The Pediatric Physicians’ Organization at Boston Children’s Hospital (PPOC) is the largest association of independent pediatric primary care providers in Massachusetts. The Behavioral Health Integration Program provides QI guidance and technical assistance for BHI to 113 practice locations and 123 integrated Behavioral Health Providers, many of whom are the only behavioral health provider within their practice. The BHIP has created an onboarding program using a structured, cohort, team-based model to build connection and consistency across integrated care implementation. It includes synchronous and asynchronous learning with in-person and virtual support, ensuring that all new behavioral health providers and their practice care team staff engage in a shared learning process while receiving flexible and comprehensive training.

Speakers
Daniel Robb, MSW, LICSW
Maria Jesus (Chus) Arrojo, MA, LMFT, LMHC
Alison Carroll, MSW, LICSW
Katie Curran, MSW, LICSW
Content Level
All Audience
Tags
Technical assistance, Training/Supervision, Workforce development
Session Type
Concurrent
Objective 1
Describe the core principles of a stepped model of collaborative, team-based care and how these principles guide onboarding of integrated behavioral health providers across diverse primary care settings.
Objective 2
Identify key components of a structured, cohort-based onboarding program that promotes role clarity, consistency, and connection among behavioral health providers and primary care practice teams.
Objective 3
Apply team-based onboarding strategies that engage behavioral health providers, clinical leaders, and practice staff to support effective integration, collaboration, and early practice readiness.
Content Reference 1

Leroy L, Rittner JL, Johnson KE, Gerteis J, Miller T. Facilitative Components of Collaborative Learning: A Review of Nine Health Research Networks. Healthc Policy. 2017 Feb;12(3):19-33. PMID: 28277202; PMCID: PMC5344361.

Content Reference 2

Gulati S. Building a Sense of Community Online: Rapport Building Activities for a Remote Learning Environment. Biomed Eng Educ. 2022;2(2):331-336. doi: 10.1007/s43683-022-00068-1. Epub 2022 Apr 4. PMID: 35399647; PMCID: PMC8979152.

Content Reference 3

Zsifkovits M, Amplatz L, Triebner N, Utz J, Kornhuber J, Spitzer P. Randomized controlled trial of asynchronous vs. synchronous online teaching formats: equal knowledge after training, greater acceptance and lower intrinsic motivation through asynchronous online learning. BMC Med Educ. 2025 Jun 19;25(1):850. doi: 10.1186/s12909-025-07481-4. PMID: 40537748; PMCID: PMC12180198.

Content Reference 4

Walter, H. J., Vernacchio, L., Correa, E. T., Bromberg, J., Goodman, E., Barton, J., & Young, G. J. (2021). Five-phase replication of behavioral health integration in pediatric primary care. Pediatrics, 148(2), e2020001073. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2020-001073

Content Reference 5

Walter, H. J., Vernacchio, L., Trudell, E. K., Bromberg, J., Goodman, E., Barton, J., & Young, G. J. (2019). Five-year outcomes of behavioral health integration in pediatric primary care. Pediatrics, 144(1), e20183243. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-3243