Increasing access through integration: Behavioral health services and beyond

An academic health center (AHC) that provides primary care to an urban, underresourced population recognized the need for an integrated model of care to address behavioral health needs. The Ambulatory Integration of the Medical and Social (AIMS) Collaborative Care Model's five pillars provided the framework and enhanced outcomes through tailored initiatives at the AHC, expanding to onsite satellite locations in senior subsidized housing, and through telehealth services. The results showed increased access to behavioral health care and improved depression and anxiety symptoms. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print January 23, 2025:e1-e5. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307939).