Associate Professor Melissa D. Pinto, PhD, RN, FSAHM, FAAN, has co-authored a paper in the Journal of Adolescent Health about the need for integrative behavioral health (IBH) in the adolescent and young adult primary care setting.
The position paper is authored by the Society for Adolescent Health & Medicine, a multidisciplinary group of adolescent health scientists and clinicians of which Dr. Pinto is a member.
“Improving integration of behavioral health into primary care for adolescents and young adults,” states that a seamless transition of care of adolescents’ physical and mental health is necessary to promote optimal health and well-being.
The paper also highlights the following recommendations:
- Training programs for every discipline incorporate instruction on IBH to meet the current and future demand.
- Training programs for clinicians across various disciplines should include ample exposure to IBH settings.
- Insurers should implement financial and administrative policies to encourage the expansion and sustainability of IBH.
Doing so, the paper says, would change behavioral health for the better. Behavioral health systems around the world would be able to identify and treat adolescents with these conditions.
Follow Us!