Accelerating Adoption of the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) in Massachusetts: Effectively Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care

This Issue Brief addresses the escalating crisis in availability of timely, affordable, and effective treatment for mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUDs) and proposes leveraging the primary care system through implementation of the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM). An extensive evidence base suggests that CoCM, by integrating MHSUD care into primary care, can alleviate years of needless suffering for those living with MHSUDs, reduce burnout among primary care providers (PCPs), reduce suicide risk, and lower total healthcare costs.

In this Brief we are proposing to increase access to needed MHSUD care across the Commonwealth through our existing primary care system - by providing PCPs with additional tools and support necessary to effectively address most of the MHSUD needs of their patients. While several models exist for integrating MHSUD care into primary care, we are recommending broadscale adoption of the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) because of its abundant and compelling evidence base.