Primary Care-Mental Health Integration Postdoctoral Psychology Fellowship

Dayton VA Medical Center

Dayton, OH

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Organization Type: 
Government
Program Type: 
Standing Program
Education Level: 
Postgraduate (e.g., residency, fellowship)
Educational Elements: 
Lecture/Didactic
Independent Study
Self Reflection Activities
Experiential not including services to patients
Experiential including clinical contact with patients
Program Description: 

The Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) postdoctoral fellowship in psychology at the Dayton Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center provides advanced interdisciplinary education and training, with emphasis on services within a primary care setting.  The training and services provided occur within the framework of the patient-centered medical home (PCMH), and are designed to incorporate training in and provision of healthcare services for women veterans and veterans in rural areas.  Fellows develop expertise in complementary areas of combat trauma through interaction with our primary care based Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) clinic, health promotion and disease prevention, and specialty psychological assessments such as pre-transplant evaluations.  Post-doctoral fellows also are afforded opportunities to receive training and provide treatment in prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy.  In addition evidenced based treatments of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) training opportunities are available through this fellowship.

Key aspects of successful primary care-mental health integration are mental health involvement in addressing depression, anxiety, substance abuse, chronic pain, medical adherence, and provider-patient communication.   Learning opportunities include:

  • Behavioral health consultation according to the co-located collaborative care model
  • Provision of same-day / as needed access to mental health assessment and treatment services for veterans in primary care
  • Consultation to primary care providers and other specialists related to management of behavioral health concerns in a medical setting and utilization of behavior change strategies related to improving medical outcomes
  • In-depth, advanced, supervised experiential learning through integration into primary care teams, which includes the Women's Health Clinic, OEF/OIF Clinic, and our VA designated rural community-based outpatient clinic in Richmond, Indiana
  • Implementation of evidence-based individual intervention practices, such as PE, CPT, CBT, ACT, Motivational Interviewing, and skills based approaches (e.g. stress management, pain management) targeting behavior change to promote physical and mental health
  • Co-facilitation of interdisciplinary group programs for chronic health conditions, such as the diabetes clinic, chronic pain management, smoking cessation, and the MOVE weight management program.
  • Psychosocial assessments for transplant (e.g., lung, kidney, liver, stem-cell) and bariatric surgery.
  • Psychoeducational lectures to specific groups of care providers and patients (e.g., stress management education for patients with diabetes, managing PTSD in a medical setting for nurses).
  • Collaboration and consultation with a variety of other disciplines related to implementation and evaluation associated with the patient aligned care teams (PACTs).
  • Development of a quantitative project related to implementation and evaluation of program effectiveness.
Evaluated: 
No
Targeted Professions
Psychology: 
Clinical
Counseling
Program Website
Self-Reported Competencies
PCPCC’s Education and Training Task Force identified 16 interprofessional training competencies critical for preparing health professionals for practicing in team-based, coordinated care models such as patient-centered medical homes. Listed below are the self-reported competencies that this program has achieved, which have been organized by the five core features of a medical home as defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Patient-Centered Care Competencies: 
Advocacy for patient-centered integrated care
Cultural sensitivity and competence in culturally appropriate practice
Development of effective, caring relationships with patients
Patient-centered care planning, including collaborative decision-making and patient self-management
Comprehensive Care Competencies: 
Assessment of biopsychosocial needs across the lifespan
Population-based approaches to health care delivery
Risk identification
Coordinated Care Competencies: 
Care coordination for comprehensive care of patient & family in the community
Health information technology, including e-communications with patients & other providers
Interprofessionalism & interdisciplinary team collaboration
Team leadership
Quality Care & Safety Competencies: 
Assessment of patient outcomes
Business models for patient-centered integrated care
Evidence-based practice
Quality improvement methods, including assessment of patient-experience for use in practice-based improvement efforts
Accessible Care Competencies: 
Promotion of appropriate access to care (e.g., group appointments, open scheduling)
Last updated November 15, 2013

* Please note: Information contained in this database is self-reported by representatives from each program. It does not represent an exhaustive list of education and training programs and inclusion does not constitute an endorsement from the PCPCC.

 

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