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Abstract
Behavioral health integration (BHI) is a proven, effective practice for addressing the joint behavioral health and medical health needs of vulnerable populations. As part of the New Orleans Charitable Health Fund (NOCHF) program, this study addressed a gap in literature to better understand factors that impact the implementation of BHI by analyzing perceptions and practices among staff at integrating organizations. Using a mixed-method design, quantitative results from the Levels of Integration Measure (LIM), a survey tool for assessing staff perceptions of BHI in primary care settings (n=86), were analyzed alongside qualitative results from in-depth interviews with staff (n=27). Findings highlighted the roles of strong leadership, training, and process changes on staff collaboration, relationships, and commitment to BHI. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the LIM in conjunction with in-depth interviews as an assessment tool for understanding perceptions and organizational readiness for BHI implementation.
Details
; Variano, Margaret 3 ; Gentry, Lisa 4 ; Relle, Meagan 1 ; Bertrand, Jane 5 1 Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA, USA
2 Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, Bureau of Family Health, New Orleans, LA, USA
3 Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA, USA; Ochsner Health System, Jefferson, LA, USA
4 Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA, USA; Optum, Metairie, LA, USA
5 Department of Global Health Management and Policy, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA