Integrating Mental Health Services for Children into Primary Care

Primary care pediatric providers are in a position to adopt innovative behavioral health care models to fill unmet mental health needs for families and children, especially those in low-income households. These authors reviewed evidence-based strategies for improving mental health care and outcomes in pediatric primary care that take a comprehensive approach to addressing social determinants of health, such as housing, and food insecurity.

The authors recommend the following strategies to improve mental health services for low-income children and families in the primary care setting:

• Shift the view of how mental health services are delivered, and refocus the primary care medical home as a place for both mental and physical health. This will n…