Issue 2

This issue of Behavioral Health Integration Resource Roundup brings you the latest research, upcoming events, and practical tools to support behavioral health integration.

Research Highlights

Strategies for Integrating Behavioral Health in Aging Services

December 2025

At the Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, experts discussed persistent challenges in integrating behavioral health into aging services, including organizational silos, workforce shortages, and complex needs of older adults. Sessions highlighted system-level strategies to align aging and behavioral health providers, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and expand workforce capacity. These results point to actionable pathways for improving care coordination, workforce readiness, and whole-person outcomes.

December 2025

During the first year of a Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) in a primary care and mental health shortage area on Chicago’s South Side, significant reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms among a majority racial and ethnic minority patient population were observed. Providers embraced the model to varying levels, with attending physicians and advanced practice nurses referring patients most frequently, offering valuable insights for supporting team-wide engagement. These results highlight that CoCM can be successfully implemented in urban academic settings, achieving meaningful clinical outcomes while creating opportunities to build on early successes.

February 2026

A CoCM program integrating behavioral health and palliative care at an academic cancer center in Massachusetts showed measurable declines in depressive symptoms over 12 months. Depression response rates were comparable to those observed in randomized clinical trials, suggesting that real-world CoCM programs can achieve meaningful clinical outcomes in oncology.

October 2025

A pilot study of the first known adaptation of CoCM for obesity and weight management, Primary Care Integrated Weight Management (PCIWM), was implemented across rural primary care clinics in South Carolina. Among patients who remained engaged and had follow-up weight data, over half maintained or lost weight, and many achieved clinically meaningful reductions in BMI within three months. These findings suggest that CoCM may offer a feasible, scalable approach to addressing chronic conditions such as obesity, particularly in rural settings with limited specialty access.

January 2026

An analysis across 11 primary care clinics revealed demographic differences in CoCM screening and referral. Male patients, Black patients, and Medicaid beneficiaries were less likely to be screened, and referral patterns varied by race and gender. Importantly, once patients entered treatment, outcomes were similar across race, ethnicity, age, gender, and insurance status. These findings highlight opportunities to improve universal screening while reinforcing that CoCM can help reduce disparities after enrollment.

January 2025

A survey of clinicians in four clinics implementing CoCM found that the model reduces stress, improves job satisfaction, and increases confidence in prescribing psychotropic medications. These results suggest CoCM not only benefits patients but also supports provider well-being and reduces burnout in integrated behavioral health settings.

Resources & Tools

2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule – Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released the CY 2026 Final Rule and updated Medicare Learning Network Booklet on Behavioral Health Integration Services. Understand payment updates, billing changes, and what they mean for CoCM programs in 2026.

Top Five Recommended CoCM Metrics – Track what matters to evaluate your CoCM program.

State Medicaid Minimum BHCM Qualifications – A summary of state Medicaid requirements for behavioral health care manager eligibility to bill for CoCM services.

Bowman Family Foundation 2026 Psychiatric CoCM Progress Report – See where CoCM is gaining traction nationwide and where policy and practice gaps remain. This report highlights expansion trends and identifies targeted opportunities to accelerate adoption.

State Medicaid coverage for CoCM codes (Updated January 2026) – A snapshot of which states cover CoCM codes.

NCCN Distress Management Guidelines Update - The National Comprehensive Cancer Network now includes CoCM in its distress management guidelines, an important signal for integrating behavioral health in oncology. Access the revised guidelines with a free account.

PCC Primary Care Investment Guide - A practical roadmap for organizations looking to expand team-based care, including behavioral health integration. The guide outlines how strategic investments can increase access while lowering total healthcare costs.

Events

March 26 | Virtual

Association of Cancer Care Center (ACCC) Webinar

Designing CoCM Workflows, Patient Pathways, and Caseload Reviews - a deep dive into practical workflows that support CoCM. Register today.

April 16 | In-Person

ABHIN Behavioral Health Integration Conference - Little Rock, AR

The Meadows Institute Health System Integration team will lead a session on CoCM billing codes, practical application of the 5 STEPS billing framework, and how early financial modeling supports long-term program sustainability. Register today.

April 26-27 | In-Person

Annual Conference of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing - Denver, CO

The Meadows Institute Health System Integration team will present a pre-conference workshop discussing practical strategies for CoCM implementation and an education session on advocating for CoCM. Register today.

Learn More

For information on Collaborative Care technical assistance and implementation, contact: CoCM Technical Assistance (TA) Team

Contact the CoCM TA Team