Empowering primary care providers to detect and treat mental health and substance use problems.
Research shows that about 80% of people with a behavioral health disorder will see a primary care provider at least once a year. By empowering primary care providers to treat mental illness and fostering collaboration between primary care physicians and behavioral health professionals, more Oklahomans can get the treatment they need.
While Oklahoma has a shortage of behavioral health providers like psychiatrists and psychologists, especially in rural areas, the state’s per-capita supply of primary care physicians exceeds federal guidelines. Through policy recommendations and convening community partners, Healthy Minds works to promote best-practice models of integrating behavioral and primary health care and break down the barriers providers face in implementing these models.
of Oklahomans with a need for mental health treatment in 2022 did not get help.
Source: Mental Health America
of people who died by suicide had contact with a primary care provider in the last month of their lives.
Source: Ahmedani et. al.
Oklahoma's per-capita supply of primary care physicians is more than 1.5 times that of the national rate.
Source: Healthy Minds research
Essential research
The need for integrated care in Oklahoma
Integrating behavioral health care into primary care is a promising opportunity to expand the behavioral health workforce to include primary care providers, of which we have a higher-than-average number in Oklahoma.
Improving the ability to detect and treat mental health conditions in primary care settings ensures more individuals get the help they need when they need it, preventing future mental health crises that cost Oklahomans’ lives and livelihoods.
Our research explores the current gaps in care for behavioral health conditions in Oklahoma and how integrated care models could succeed here.
