How to Implement Integrated Behavioral Health in Your Practice

Story by Connor Danielowski / June 26, 2025

Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) blends mental health services with primary or chronic care to treat the whole person. Implementing BHI improves access, enhances outcomes, and streamlines care pathways. Here’s how Chronic Care Staffing can assist practices and can make the transition effectively.

1. Understand the BHI Model and Its Impact

BHI embeds behavioral health clinicians—such as therapists, social workers, or care coordinators – into medical settings, enabling warm hand-offs and team-based treatment plans. This model reduces care fragmentation and improves engagement. Research from AHRQ and SAMHSA confirms that integrated teams reduce stigma and improve access compared with separate behavioral health referrals.

2. Secure Buy‑In and Leadership Support

Successful integration requires that leadership invests in staffing, training, and workflow redesign. Practices must align resources to support behavioral health roles and establish shared goals across the care team.

3. Design Clinical Workflows

Define clear protocols for:

• Screening and identification (e.g., PHQ-9 or GAD-7 in intake workflows).
  
• Warm hand-offs – when a patient screens positive, the provider introduces them directly to the behavioral health clinician.
  
• Systematic case reviews to track care plans and adjust treatment.
  
• Referral pathways for higher acuity or specialty care.

4. Integrate Technology and Care Documentation

Ensure EHRs support shared care plans, clinical notes, and outcome tracking. Telehealth platforms should enable virtual collaboration and coordination. Secure messaging helps behavioral staff consult immediately with medical providers.

5. Staff Training and Role Clarification

Train all team members on their roles in BHI workflows: medical providers for screening and hand-offs, behavioral clinicians for assessment and intervention, and care managers for follow-up. AMA emphasizes that detailing every task upfront helps avoid process breakdowns.

6. Measure Outcomes and Refine

Chronic Care Staffing can help you set metrics such as:

• Screening completion rates
  
• Number of warm hand-offs
  
• Patient-reported symptom improvement
  
• Reduced emergency or hospital utilization
  

7. Align Billing and Reimbursement

Use CMS and commercial payers’ BHI billing codes. BHI is currently a reimbursable program for Medicare and Medicare Advantage patients, utilizing CPT code 99484. The national average reimbursement rate for 2025 is approximately $54. Ensuring proper coding and documentation is essential for financial sustainability.

Why Practices Should Integrate Behavioral Health Now

Apart from clinical value, integration:

• Meets rising demand for accessible mental health care
  
• Taps into new revenue utilizing BHI reimbursement for Medicare/Medicare Advantage patients
  
• Supports value-based care by reducing costs and improving clinical outcomes
  

How Chronic Care Staffing Supports BHI Implementation

Chronic Care Staffing helps practices integrate and operationalize BHI by offering:

• Dedicated behavioral health care coordinators embedded in your care team
  
• Clinical staff training and quality assurance
  
• Assistance building customized workflows around screening, warm hand-offs, and documentation
  
• Outcome tracking, reporting, and virtual clinical staff support
  
• Billing and coding guidance for BHI services
  

Our team acts as an extension of your practice, easing administrative burden and enhancing care delivery. We also support Chronic Care Management and Remote Patient Monitoring – learn more on our Chronic Care Management services page and RPM support page for how integrated support can span clinical and behavioral needs.

Implementing integrated behavioral health takes planning and investment, but the evidence shows it improves access, outcomes, and revenue – while delivering whole-person care. With Chronic Care Staffing as your partner, you can build a seamless BHI program aligned with your existing services and patient needs.

Connor Danielowski

Chief Operating Officer, Chronic Care Staffing

Connor Danielowski is the Chief Operating Officer at Chronic Care Staffing, where he leads operations, strategy, and growth initiatives focused on delivering high-impact virtual care solutions. He brings a unique blend of clinical service knowledge and financial expertise to help healthcare organizations implement and scale Chronic Care Management (CCM), Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), and other virtual care management services.

Connor began his career in investment banking and private equity, where he focused on investing in healthcare businesses and working closely with management teams to drive revenue growth and profitability. This experience shaped his hands-on, results-oriented approach to healthcare operations today.

He holds a degree in Accounting from Washington & Lee University and brings both analytical rigor and a patient-first mindset to his role. In addition to his work at Chronic Care Staffing, Connor serves on the development board for the MUSC College of Nursing. He lives in Charleston, SC, with his wife and son.

Categories: Chronic Care Management News