Fostering Effective Integration of Behavioral Health and Primary Care in Massachusetts

The integration of behavioral health and primary care is an essential strategy for realizing the Triple Aim health reform objectives. While there is a substantial evidence base of successful integration models, challenges remain in effective and wide-spread adoption of these models.

JSI will work with the BCBS MA Foundation to promote and disseminate integrated behavioral health and primary care approaches through developing an evaluation plan for its emerging and innovative integration initiative. The Foundation has recently funded 10 organizations currently integrating behavioral health and primary care. JSI's role is to develop case studies of each of these programs as well as to conduct a formative evaluation, focusing specifically on programmatic operations, data collection and use, and lessons learned. The information gathered from these programs will be used to inform a broader integration initiative that the Foundation plans to undertake in future years. Through information gathered from these programs, JSI will also design an evaluation strategy for the Foundation's future work in this area.