Name
D08 - Making Collaborative Care Work in Rural America: Lessons from Scaling CoCM Across Arkansas
Date & Time
Friday, October 9, 2026, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location Name
Regency D (2nd Floor)
Description

Rural communities face barriers to behavioral health care, including workforce shortages and limited access to psychiatric services. The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) offers an evidence-based approach to expanding behavioral health access by integrating behavioral health into primary care settings. This session highlights lessons learned from implementing and scaling CoCM across rural clinics in underserved Arkansas communities, including strategies for assessing clinic readiness, supporting interdisciplinary care teams, and adapting workflows for resource-limited environments. Attendees will gain practical insights into how collaborative care can strengthen behavioral health access and improve outcomes in rural communities.

Speakers
Cyril Appiagyei, MD
Kristen Martin, DO, MS, FAAFP, FASAM, FACOFP
Jason Onugha, MD, MPH
Kim Shuler, LCSW
Djauna Smith, LCSW
Patty Gibson, MD
Co-Authors
Caitlyn Johnson, LCSW, Project Manager, Arkansas Behavioral Health Integration Network, Eureka Springs, AR; Miste Trent, MSW, Project Coordinator, Arkansas Behavioral Health Integration Network, Eureka Springs, AR
Content Level
Intermediate
Tags
Care management, Collaborative Care Model of Integrated Care, Rural
Session Type
Concurrent
Assess Rural Clinic Readiness Understand key factors for identifying and preparing rural primary care clinics for CoCM implementation.
Implement Team-Based Behavioral Health Care Explore strategies for integrating psychiatric consultation, behavioral health care managers, and primary care providers within rural clinic workflows.
Strengthening Behavioral Health Access in Rural CommunitiesIdentify practical approaches for expanding behavioral health services in rural areas through collaborative care and cross-sector partnerships.

Austin EJ;Briggs ES;Cheung A;LePoire E;Blanchard BE;Bauer AM;Al Achkar M;Powers DM; (n.d.). Understanding and navigating the unique barriers rural primary care settings face when implementing collaborative care for mental health. Community mental health journal. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39240482/

Powers DM;Bowen DJ;Arao RF;Vredevoogd M;Russo J;Grover T;Unützer J; (n.d.). Rural clinics implementing collaborative care for low-income patients can achieve comparable or better depression outcomes. Families, systems & health : the journal of collaborative family healthcare. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32700931/

Collaborative Care Management of late-life depression in the primary care setting: A randomized controlled trial | depressive disorders | JAMA | jama network. (n.d.). https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/195599