Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH)

Primary Preceptors: Kerri Keeler, MSN, PMHNP-BC and Hannah Delong, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Program Director: Ashley Taylor, DSW, LICSW

Primary Care Behavioral Health

The VA (and most other health care systems) is working towards an integrated health care delivery model. When behavioral health providers are part of the primary care team, patients benefit. PCBH offers patient-centered, team-based services integrating behavioral health and primary care. We aim to deliver timely and effective assessment, brief treatment, and referral coordination to the veterans under our care. An important aspect of our mission is to empower veterans to improve self-management of their health care needs while also reducing the stigma that can be associated with seeking specialty mental health services. PCBH operates within an interprofessional model. Your training will emphasize the importance of communicating and working across disciplines. Your fellow trainees include psychology interns and postdoctoral fellows, social work interns, nurse practitioner fellows, and psychiatry and family medicine residents. We work with, rely on, and learn from each other in the name of providing best health care to the population of Veterans with whom we work. 

Primary Care Behavioral Health Learning Objectives

• Collaborate effectively with primary care teams to coordinate same day mental health access for Veteran’s presenting to the primary care clinic with mental health concerns.
• Provide psychiatric medication management for a panel of Veterans with mild to moderate mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and insomnia.
• Provide brief, evidence-based psychotherapy to a panel of Veterans, including incorporating elements of CBT, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing
• Gain proficiency in completion of comprehensive suicide risk evaluations for Veterans screening positive on CSSR in primary and urgent care clinics, as well as safety planning and triaging level of care and treatment needs as appropriate.
• Complete initial psychiatric diagnostic evaluations for Veterans referred to Primary Care Behavioral Health and provide psychoeducation related to mental health diagnoses and treatment plan.
• Collaborate with interprofessional team members on treatment planning for Veterans, including completing co-visits with therapy team members and peer support specialists.
• Provide care management using Behavioral Health Laboratory including regularly completing behavioral health measures for objective monitoring of symptoms.
• Complete electronic consultations for primary care providers who have questions pertaining to psychopharmacology.
• Join assigned primary care team weekly huddle to collaborate with primary care teams closely and help coordinate mental health access for Veterans who may benefit from behavioral health services.
• Demonstrate and understanding of population-based healthcare and PCMHI tools and measures to assist with early recognition of primary care patients who may benefit from accessing behavioral health services.