TVC Family Medicine has partnered with UAF Psychology Department to develop and implement a Behavioral Health Program within Family Medicine. Integrating behavioral health services into a primary care setting offers clinical cost-effectiveness, continuity of patient care, and more effective prevention and management of physical and mental health concerns.

This integrated behavioral health program includes training of doctoral psychology students, who are co-located within the department to be available for same day, “warm hand-off” referrals from our Family Medicine providers.

The behavioral health interventions in this setting are designed to enhance usual primary care health treatment and prevention. Behavioral health visits in this model are brief and specific to the referral concern (e.g., smoking cessation; chronic pain; weight management; stress/anxiety; depression; facilitation of specialty mental health services).

Our goal is for this initial pilot program to develop into a long-term, sustainable model.