The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #41367

Linda Weinreb, MD, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, 508-856-3225, weinrebl@ummhc.org, Joanne Nicholson, PhD, Psychiatry, UMass Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, and John C. Buckner, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Hunnewell 121, Boston, MA 02115.

During the past few years, increasing attention has been focused upon the pivotal role that the primary care setting plays in the identification and treatment of mental health disorders, many individuals’ preference to receive mental health care in primary care, and increasing reliance on primary care rather than specialty mental health care to address people’s mental health needs. While collaborative approaches between medical and mental health providers have demonstrated improved patient outcomes, rigorous studies have not examined the efficacy of collaborative models with low income or homeless populations. The session will present the evidence base for collaborative medical and mental health practice and the special needs of homeless mothers and their children. The presentation will describe the Worcester Homeless Families Program (WHFP), a nationally recognized, community health center-based program for homeless mothers and their children, and the only health setting-based site selected for evaluation by the CMHS/CSAT Homeless Families Initiative. The WHFP intervention provides integrated primary care, family advocacy, parent education/support, mental health, and children’s services to homeless families in Worcester, Massachusetts. Approaches for the effective design and implementation of integrated models of care serving homeless populations will be outlined.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to

• describe the evidence base and best practices for collaborative mental health and primary health care; and
• identify different strategies for integrating mental health and primary health care for homeless populations.

Keywords: Homelessness,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.