Integrated care programs, in which mental health care is delivered in primary care settings, exist as a promising solution to common, disabling and costly behavioral health problems, such as depression, anxiety and substance use disorders. Collaborative Care, a type of integrated care, has emerged as the strongest evidence-based approach. In this model, PCPs work with psychiatrists and Care Managers to deliver evidence-based care that is proven to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and improve the patient experience. 

This course is supported by the Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative (TCPI). 

Supported by Funding Opportunity Number CMS-1L1-15-002 from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The contents provided are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of HHS or any of its agencies.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the Collaborative Care model and develop skills to work with a psychiatric consultant

1. Describe the Collaborative Care approach, including its evidence base and guiding principles
2. Identify Collaborative Care’s key tasks, including patient engagement and identification, treatment initiation, outcome tracking, treatment adjustment and relapse prevention
3. Describe the PCP role as part of a Collaborative Care team

• Strengthen behavioral health skills for primary care settings

1. Increase knowledge of common behavioral health screeners and measures used in primary care
2. Apply assessment approaches to develop provisional mental health diagnosis
3. Explain biopsychosocial approaches to developing treatment plans
4. Apply common prescribing principles for psychotropic medications and refer to appropriate brief behavioral interventions
5. Utilize a chronic illness model approach to deliver measurement-based treatment to target for common mental health disorders

Target Audience

Non-psychiatrist physicians

Estimated Time to Complete

Estimated Duration: 2 Hours
Project Start Date: December 12, 2016
Project Review Date: September 30, 2022
Project End Date: December 12, 2025

How to Earn Credit

Participants who wish to earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ™ or a certificate of participation may do so by completing all sections of the course including the evaluation. A multiple choice quiz is provided based on the content. A passing score of 60% must be achieved. Retakes are available for the test. After evaluating the program, course participants will be provided with an opportunity to claim hours of participation and print an official CME certificate (physicians) or certificate of participation (non-physicians) showing the event date and hours earned. 

Continuing Education Credit

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The APA designates this enduring CME activity for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Faculty and Planner Disclosures

Presenter and Reviewer

• Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington; Associate Director for Education, The AIMS Center, University of Washington. Disclosure: Spouse- Consultant Allergan

Program Planners

• John Kern, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Regional Mental Health Center and Regional Health Center. Disclosure: MTM Services, National Council for Behavioral Health

Accessibility for Participants with Disabilities

The American Psychiatric Association is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website to people with disabilities. If you have trouble accessing any of APA’s online resources, please contact us at 202-559-3900 for assistance.

Technical Requirements

This internet-based CME activity is best experienced using any of the following:

• The latest and 2nd latest public versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
• Internet Explorer 11+

This Web site requires that JavaScript and session cookies be enabled. Certain activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of the content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Flash, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Windows Media Player.

Optimal System Configuration:

• Browser: Google Chrome (latest and 2nd latest version), Safari (latest and 2nd latest version), Internet Explorer 11.0+, Firefox (latest and 2nd latest version), or Microsoft Edge (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Operating System: Windows versions 8.1+, Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) +, Android (latest and 2nd latest version), or iOS/iPad OS (latest and 2nd latest version)
• Internet Connection: 1 Mbps or higher

Minimum Requirements:

• Windows PC: Windows 8.1 or higher; 1 GB (for 32-bit)/2 GB (for 64-bit) or higher RAM; Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content
• Macintosh: Mac OS X 10.5 or higher with latest updates installed; Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor; 512 MB or higher RAM; audio playback with speakers for programs with video content

For assistance: Contact educme@psych.org for questions about this activity | Contact learningcenter@psych.org for technical assistance