SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions

About Us

The SAMHSA/HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions (CIHS) promotes the development of integrated primary and behavioral health services to better address the needs of individuals with mental health and substance use conditions, whether seen in specialty behavioral health or primary care provider settings. CIHS is funded jointly by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA).

The Center provides training and technical assistance to 56 community behavioral health organizations that have collectively been awarded more than $26.2 million in Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration (PBHCI) grants as well as to community health centers and other primary care and behavioral health organizations. The PBHCI Grant program are part of an unprecedented push by Congress and the Health and Human Services Administration to help prevent and reduce chronic disease and promote wellness by treating behavioral health needs on an equal footing with other health conditions.

The Center for Integrated Health Solutions will increase the number of: 

• Individuals trained in specific behavioral health related practices;
• Organizations using integrated health care service delivery approaches;
• Consumers credentialed to provide behavioral health related practices;  
• Model curriculums developed for bidirectional primary and behavioral health integrated practice; and,  
• Health providers trained in the concepts of wellness and behavioral health recovery.
   

Click here for more information on the Center for Integrated Health Solutions.

Steering Committee

The CIHS Steering Committee provides strategic thinking and helps to inform the Center's training and technical assistance (TTA) activities. The Steering Committee is composed of leaders from the fields of primary and behavioral health care that bring their unique innovations and strategic thinking to inform the expansion of primary and behavioral health care integration.

CIHS Steering Committee Roster
 

Center for Integrated Health Solutions Staff
CIHS staff biographical information as of August 22, 2011

Linda Rosenberg-Corporate Monitor
lindar@thenationalcouncil.org

Kathy Reynolds-Director
kathyr@thenationalcouncil.org

Laura Galbreath- Deputy Director
laurag@thenationalcouncil.org

Larry Fricks-Deputy Director and Coordinator
larryf@thenationalcouncil.org

Jeff Capobianco- Evaluation and Performance Measurement
jeffc@thenationalcouncil.org

Tony Salerno- Learning Community Consultant
tonys@thenationalcouncil.org

Thea Browning- Webinar Coordinator/ Online Technical Assistance
theab@thenationalcouncil.org

Hannah Mason- Logistical Coordinator
hannahm@thenationalcouncil.org

Emma Green- Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator
emmag@thenationalcouncil.org

Cheryl Holt- Training and Technical Assistance Director
cherylh@thenationalcouncil.org

Aaron Williams-Training and Technical Assistance Director/Substance Abuse
aaronw@thenationalcouncil.org

Shauna Reitmeier-Contract Administrator-CIHS
shaunar@thenationalcouncil.org

About the 56 PBHCI Grantees

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services has awarded 56 grants for Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration.  The purpose of the program is to improve the physical health status of people with serious mental illnesses (SMI) by supporting communities to coordinate and integrate primary care services into publicly funded community mental health and other community-based behavioral health settings.

Click here to access a Map of the 56 grantees.

Access the Primary Behavioral Health Care Integration Program Profile here.


Press Releases: Technical Assistance Center to Improve Whole Health

For interviews with integrated health experts, contact Meena Dayak at MeenaD@thenationalcouncil.org or 202.684.3728.

Washington, DC (September 28, 2010)—The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (National Council) has won a competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Primary and Behavioral Healthcare Integration. The Center will address the comprehensive health needs of patients with mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders by improving the coordination of healthcare services in publicly funded community settings. The Center is funded jointly by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA).

The Center will provide training and technical assistance to 56 organizations that have collectively been awarded more than $26.2 million in grants as well as to community health centers and other primary care and behavioral health organizations. According to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, these grants are part of an unprecedented push by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to help prevent and reduce chronic disease and promote wellness by treating behavioral health needs on an equal footing with other health conditions.

“The National Council is honored to have this opportunity to assist dedicated safety net healthcare providers across the country,” said Linda Rosenberg, MSW, President and CEO of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. “We are grateful for this important federal investment in saving and improving the lives of persons with behavioral health disorders. We congratulate the grantees and look forward to working with them, with the larger healthcare community and with consumers of services to eliminate barriers between mental and physical health. Together, we can ensure people receive the right care at the right time, in all settings.”

According to a 2006 national survey, persons with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression have lower than average life expectancy and die, on average, at the age of 53 — often from untreated and preventable chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Lack of access to primary care and specialty medicine is a critical factor in these tragic outcomes and the new HHS grants provide an opportunity to address this public health emergency.

SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, JD said, “The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is excited about the possibilities that healthcare reform brings to individuals, families, communities, and providers. Our continued collaboration with the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare and other organizations is critical to ensuring the successful implementation of health reform. The new grants allow us to bring needed healthcare services to patients in a coordinated and convenient manner and can go a long way in helping to improve health status.”

The National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Primary and Behavioral Healthcare Integration will focus activities in six core areas: workforce development; knowledge application; knowledge development and dissemination; healthcare reform and policy analysis issues; prevention and health promotion; and quality improvement, performance measurement and data collection. An important goal of the Center is to increase the number of practitioners, consumers and families, trained in behavioral health wellness and recovery practices. The National Council is fortunate to have as partners in the Center, a diverse array of national associations, universities, and consumer-based agencies that have been the architects of the movement to integrate primary and behavioral healthcare.

“HRSA supports the work of Community Health Centers across the nation, assuring that patients living with mental health or substance abuse concerns can get the screening, treatment and referral for all their healthcare needs,” said Mary K. Wakefield, PhD, RN, Administrator of HRSA. “As health centers and other safety net providers work to meet the full range of patient healthcare needs, HRSA wants to assure that technical assistance and training are available to support those efforts.”

Over the past 10 years, the National Council has served as a critical source of information and field-tested resources for healthcare organizations, policymakers, and community stakeholders working to provide primary and mental healthcare across delivery systems.
Additional Resources

Health Homes-Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Health Resources and Services Administration