Bridging the Gap: Integrating Behavioral Health into Primary Care
Course Overview
This comprehensive CME course provides primary care professionals with the essential knowledge and skills to effectively integrate behavioral health into their practice. Through online modules, interactive case studies, and downloadable resources, participants will learn to identify, assess, and manage common mental health disorders in primary care settings.
Key topics covered include:
- Prevalence and impact of mental health disorders in primary care
- Models of integrated behavioral healthcare
- Screening and assessment tools for mental health conditions
- Brief interventions for common mental health problems
- Principles of psychopharmacology in primary care
- Collaborative care models and care coordination
- Accessing and utilizing community mental health resources
- Ethical and legal considerations in integrated care
This course is designed for:
- Primary care physicians
- Nurses/nurse practitioners
- Physician assistants
- Behavioral Health Professionals (social workers, psychologists, counselors)
- Other healthcare professionals involved in primary care
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
- Describe the prevalence and impact of mental health disorders in primary care settings.
- Discuss the benefits, challenges, and ethical and legal considerations related to integrating behavioral health into primary care.
- Develop collaborative care plans for patients with mental health concerns.
- Implement brief interventions for common mental health problems.
- Examine the role of psychopharmacology in primary care.
- Access and utilize community mental health resources.
About the Author/Presenter
Meriah Ward, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, is a highly accomplished healthcare professional with a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree and dual certifications as a Family (FNP-BC) and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC). They currently serve as a nurse practitioner at Advance Community Health in Raleigh, North Carolina, while holding the adjunct professor position at Old Dominion University’s advanced practice registered nursing family nurse practitioner program. Additionally, Dr. Ward owns a healthcare practice in California with Avail Healthcare and serves as its director of clinical education. In addition to their clinical roles, Dr. Ward is a contract content creator for continuing medical education (CME) and a healthcare advisor for Vance-Granville Community College’s medical assistant program. Dr. Ward has authored numerous continuing education courses on a wide range of topics, including HIV, type 2 diabetes, pre-exposure prophylaxis, neurodivergence, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and substance use disorder (SUD). Their work primarily addresses healthcare disparities in underserved communities and explores the relationship between social determinants of health and health outcomes. Within their organization, Dr. Ward also serves as a clinical informaticist, actively involved in quality improvement projects to enhance patient care, improve outcomes, and increase provider satisfaction. Dr. Ward completed their MSN, DNP, and post-graduate certificate (PGC) at Old Dominion University in 2020, 2021, and 2024, respectively. They identify as nonbinary and use they/them pronouns, and their personal experience as an autistic individual informs their perspective on neurodivergence in healthcare.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Counselor, Physician, Psychology, Social Work
If you require special accommodations, please contact Colibri Healthcare Support by clicking here: Contact Us
