‘C-L psychiatrists are best positioned to function at the interface of psychiatry and medicine’
ACLP’s board has approved formation of another new special interest group: The Collaborative and Integrated Care SIG will bring together C-L psychiatrists interested in advancing care and ideas for practicing in collaborative or integrated care settings.
Co-chair Patrick Aquino, MD, FACLP, says the SIG recognizes that there are different models of collaborative or integrated care—in inpatient, outpatient, or community settings.
Dr. Aquino, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, says: “There is an ever-expanding role for consultation-liaison psychiatrists within the medical system. Our specific training as C-L psychiatrists best positions us to function in roles at the interface of psychiatry and medicine.
“More health systems are recognizing the need to create models of care that better align mental health and physical health needs.
“The IMPACT model is one of the most recognized and studied models of care for integrating behavioral health and primary care.
“However, there are many types of collaboration and alignment that occur between psychiatry, other medical providers, and care systems, occurring in inpatient, outpatient, or community settings.”
Dr. Aquino says several ACLP members came together to create the SIG to focus on highlighting the special nature of this developing work—of integrating psychiatric care into other parts of medical care.
“Personally, I have been fortunate to participate in various forms of primary care-behavioral health integration in different health systems over the years,” he says. “My own experience has been in clinical roles as a co-located provider, an embedded provider in patient-centered medical homes, and as a consulting psychiatrist in an IMPACT model setting.
“I have had the opportunity to work alongside dedicated primary care physicians who have helped to shape the specifics of the deliver model to each system.
“Currently, I am partnering with primary care leadership to expand the IMPACT model across the primary care network for Beth Israel Lahey Health here in Eastern Massachusetts.
“Many of the SIG members have similar experiences and backgrounds and we hope that by bringing this expertise and experience together we can provide something new to ACLP and its membership.”
“More health systems are recognizing the need to create models of care that better align mental health and physical health need.”
—Dr. Aquino
The SIG aims to provide a forum to foster collaboration and share experiences for SIG members engaged in this type of clinical practice, says Dr. Aquino. “Through online forums, in-person meetings, and regular communication the SIG will work to develop and disseminate best practices, create workshops or symposia for the annual meeting, collaborate on research or scholarly work, and create a network for professional development for C-L psychiatrists.”
Members interested in joining the SIG can sign-up on the ACLP website here