Integrated primary care behavioural health in a regional network of FQHC agencies during COVID-19.

Objectives: (1) Examine the ability to sustain integrated primary care behavioural health (eg, colocation, communication and coordination) in 40 community health centres, during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) review adaptations and challenges to provide integrated behavioural health via telehealth.

Methods And Analysis: This qualitative investigation assessed 55 behavioural health consultants (BHCs), via semistructured interviews, spanning 40 practice sites and 10 organisations, on their adjustment to telehealth delivery, modified practice workflows and challenges of maintaining integration while displaced by the pandemic. Assessment of the level of integrated care was also conducted with available semistructured tools.

The development, implementation and early learnings of a training program to advance interest in behavioral research careers among undergraduate BIPOC students majoring in psychology.

Objectives: Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) remain underrepresented in research occupations. This report discusses a collaboration to train undergraduate BIPOC students in clinical research between a public health institute, two medical schools, and a historically Black College or University (HBCU). This nine-month program trained BIPOC undergraduates in research methodology, psychology, and addiction science, and immersed trainees in real-world research.

Expanding access to nurse-managed medication for opioid use disorder.

Background: Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are increasingly caring for individuals with opioid use disorder. Advances have been made to increase APRN education, outreach, and prescribing privileges, but as demand for medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) grows, evidence suggests that policy and care barriers inhibit the ability of APRNs to support MOUD.

Purpose: This paper highlights the significant challenges of expanding access to buprenorphine prescribing by APRNs.

Nomination of Natalie Levkovich for the 2019 CFHA Don Bloch Award.

Don Bloch's legacy is expansive and deep, epitomized by his vision, systemic orientation, innovative work, and a paragon of connecting people. Natalie Levkovich has continued this tradition as past president of the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association (CFHA), Chief Executive Officer of the Health Federation of Philadelphia, and contributor to numerous boards and projects. She is a fervent champion for improving population health by increasing access to high quality care for all, especially the most marginalized.

Do Peer Recovery Specialists Improve Outcomes for Individuals with Substance Use Disorder in an Integrative Primary Care Setting? A Program Evaluation.

Peer recovery specialists (PRSs) combine their personal experiences with substance use and recovery with clinical skills to support patients in treatment for or recovery from substance use. This paper provides evaluation findings from a SAMHSA-funded program that integrated a PRS team into a primary care clinic to assess the efficacy of PRS support on patients' substance use, healthcare involvement, and criminal justice involvement. PRSs provided a range of services to patients with histories of incarceration and substance use, including facilitating support groups, providing one-on-one individualized support, and navigating services.

Using standardized patients as a means of training and evaluating behavioral health consultants in primary care.

Introduction: The Health Federation of Philadelphia, which hosts a network of Behavioral Health Consultants (BHC) operating within the Primary Care Behavioral Health model (PCBH), identified a need to systematically evaluate PCBH model fidelity and to rigorously evaluate the competency assessment process to further their workforce development. A simulated patient exercise was developed for evaluating BHC PCBH specific competencies.

Method: A simulated BHC encounter was held at a clinical learning center using standardized patients, repeated twice over 2 years.

Social problem solving and noncardiac chest pain.

Objective: To investigate differences in social problem solving (SPS) between individuals with noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) and persons with chest pain who tested positive for underlying cardiac disease.

Methods: The major design involved a matched case-control methodology and compared a group of patients with NCCP (n = 53) with a group of patients with cardiac disease-related chest pain (n = 53) with regard to a battery of psychological distress, stress, and pain measures as well as a multidimensional measure of SPS.

Results: Initial analyses found no differences between the groups regarding reported levels of chest pain intensity or frequency.