As burnout and shifting demands continue to challenge healthcare teams, we want to explore how leaders are creating clarity, connection, and momentum as we head into a new season.

This session will focus on what’s working: real strategies to boost morale, sustain purpose, and set teams up for meaningful, effective work. We’d love for you to share what you’re seeing, what you’re trying, and what your teams need now. ‘

Dave Bauman and Deepu George will be on hand to help facilitate the discussion.

Join us for a community conversation on integrated care in OB/GYN settings. This topic comes from a strong response on the listserv from participants expressing an interest in connecting with others working in women’s health. Bring your questions and ideas around program development, service innovations, funding options, evaluating outcomes and research in integrated primary and specialty ob and gyn settings. We’ll be joined by Helen L. Coons, PhD, ABPP, President and Clinical Director, Women’s Mental Health Associates & Health Psychology Solutions, Bethany Ashby, PsyD, Associate Professor, University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Jennifer Thomas, MD, FASAM, National Medical Co-Director, CFHA.

As the nation braces for shifts in healthcare priorities under a new administration, how can we ensure that integrated care remains central to the national health agenda? Join us for May’s Community Conversation, led by Neftali Serrano, as we unpack how to effectively advocate for whole-person care amidst political uncertainty, budget cuts, and rising misinformation. Drawing from CFHA’s open letter to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and HHS (attached), this session is an opportunity to discuss strategies for defending and promoting integrated behavioral health in our communities and programs. We will brainstorm how to make our voices heard with policymakers, support evidence-based care, and protect access for the people who need it most.

Join Brian Sandoval, co-chair of the Value-Based Care Workgroup, for a community conversation discussing the results and implications of the group’s recent study on the integration of behavioral health in value-based contracts!

Join Daniela Vela Hernandez for a Community Conversation on using Epic for PCBH and CoCM!

Following up on last month’s conversation, we will discuss potential changes to DEI laws with the upcoming transition of administrations. Join us to discuss specific issues your state and healthcare organizations are facing and how others are preparing to navigate care under these anticipated changes.

CFHA recognizes that the upcoming discontinuity between administrations as well as the values related to healthcare pose challenges to our communities and members. Come ready to discuss specific challenges your communities and healthcare organizations are anticipating as well as hear from CFHA leadership and policy expert Marci Nielsen about what to be ready for.

This community conversation will serve as a space to discuss and share about the increased opportunities and potential challenges of promoting the inclusion of the counseling profession in integrated care. The hope is that this will allow for networking among professionals interested in expanding the impact of the counseling profession in integrated care settings.

The Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2024 made several changes to expand access to behavioral health services for patients, which included the addition of LMFTs and LPCs as recognized behavioral health providers in FQHC and RHC settings. With this expanded opportunity, masters-level counseling professionals can be a dynamic force to impact the integrated care workforce. Additionally, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), which serves as the accrediting body for masters-level counseling programs, made changes to their newest 2024 CACREP Standards to provide greater acknowledgment of primary care and integrated behavioral healthcare as a part of the counseling continuum of care.

In light of these recent changes, the counseling profession is poised to make a greater impact in integrated care settings and has valuable training to contribute to whole-person care. This community conversation will discuss the expanded opportunities for masters-level counselors, the benefits of including counselors in the integrated care workforce, potential barriers to the increased integration of masters-level counselors, and the areas of education and advocacy needed to promote greater integration of the counseling profession into medical settings.

Join us at the CFHA and CalHIVE BHI Collaborative joint meeting, where we unite behavioral health professionals with a shared goal: transforming California’s Integrated behavioral health services. We provide a stimulating environment for learning, innovation, and collaboration. In our meeting, you’ll gain valuable insights from industry front-runners who will share their best practices, success stories, and lessons learned in BHI. Our engaging presentations and discussions aim to equip you with practical strategies for successful integration of behavioral health services. This event also offers a prime networking platform. Connect with fellow professionals and organizations, potentially sparking future collaborations. We value diverse perspectives and promote open dialogue to fuel progress in our field.

Calling all Georgia residents! Join us for this special 1.5hr Community Conversation on Integrated Behavioral Health in the state of Georgia on Wednesday, February 28th at 12-1:30pm ET. We will have superparticipant Andrea Meyer Stinson from Resilient Georgia helping to lead this conversation.

This Community Conversation brings together panelists from several states who are in varying stages of achieving and/or implementing a mental health well check for a range of ages. Panelists will share information about their legislation around coverage of this service, their experience with stakeholder involvement, their advocacy process, as well as clinical and operational components and challenges and successes throughout. Join us for a rich discussion on advocating for preventative mental health services and insurance coverage of those services.

With the continued development of the IBH field, many professionals are starting to enter the Mid-End stage of their career. As this is a novel role for many providers, researchers, and administrators, we’ve invited a panel of experts to share their insights regarding this transition. Join us as we explore the boundless professional and personal opportunities of those in the Mid-End of their career. Topics will include specific challenges, pivotal moments, mentoring/guiding the next generation, and retirement plans. You won’t want to miss this!

Increased acuity has been an area of continued discussion amongst the CHFA listserv. Often, medical and behavioral health providers are faced with balancing increased patient needs with the broader goals of population-based healthcare. Join Community Conversation Facilitator Cory Knight & Super Participant Elizabeth Nikol from Summit Health as they review examples of increased acuity, discuss the challenges associated with providing population-based healthcare, and share strategies and tips for making the most of integrated behavioral health visits.

Several recent controlled trials have documented dramatic benefits for chronic non-structural pain using new psychological techniques. By addressing stress, trauma, emotions, and the impact of ACEs, pain is relieved far more often than with CBT or mindfulness. Please join us for a conversation that will introduce these concepts and provide resources for learning more.

Behavioral health consultants (BHCs) provide a variety of much-needed services, often working as generalists that are assessable and part of routine clinic flow. While their roles vary between direct patient care and team-based support, BHCs must maintain high productivity levels to align with primary care’s goals. Further, many BHCs must track their productivity for administrative and organizational purposes. Join us as we examine the attributes of high-performing BHCs, the metrics they use to track their productivity, and how these metrics can be used to enrich the services that they provide. David Bauman, PsyD and Rachael Pennell, LCSW will help to lead the discussion as this month’s super participants.

Behavioral science faculty in residency training programs have faced shifts in their roles in the last 20 years as a result of a variety of forces impacting residency programs, including the advent of integrated care. What does it mean to work as a behaviorist in your department? Is your work valued or understood? Are you being asked to implement integrated care alongside all of your existing responsibilities? If these are questions you have been asking yourself then this Community Conversation is for you. Come ready to share and discuss how the intersection of integrated care and resident training can be an important and powerful force for positive change in the world of healthcare and in your professional career.

For many of us, the PCBH model is a simple and efficient approach to providing high-quality patient-centered care. However, a variety of myths exist as how to how the model should be applied, such as who is a “good fit”, is this even therapy, and you can only treat small problems, to name a few. In this Community Conversation, the group attempted to bust these Myths of PCBH with our panel of super contributors. Finally, we explored many of the myths posted to the listserv and welcomed all those in attendance to submit their myths as part of the conversation.

Historically, primary care has been the first line of treatment for those who experience co-occurring mental and chronic health conditions. Often termed “medically complex”, these patients have unique healthcare needs that require providers to operate above and beyond their typical practice. Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 Pandemic has added a new layer of complexity, leading many providers to continuously evolve in their approach to treatment. In this Community Conversation, we explored these practices for supporting medically complex patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Throughout the years’ terms for addressing the cultural factors in human communication have changed. How can we be more inclusive and engaging when we talk with someone from a culture different from our own? Cultural competence. Cultural humility. Cultural safety. What term do you use and why? The purpose of this community conversation is to help you explore your views and terms. Awareness and intention are powerful components of an engaging conversation between an individual seeking care and an individual providing it.