Blue Cross | Blue Shield | Blue Care Network of Michigan The Record

Stethoscope with RX papers

Forward to a friend  |  Subscribe  |  The Record Archive  |  Contacts  |  bcbsm.com  |  Print this article
May 2020

Help connect your patients to behavioral health resources with PCP toolkit

As a primary care physician, you’re most likely working with your patients to improve their mental health as well as their physical health. Addressing mental health concerns while managing medical treatment is important to the overall well-being of your patients. Consider these statistics:**

  • 1 in 5 primary care visits address mental health concerns.
  • 10 to 20% of the general population will consult a primary care doctor for a mental health problem in the course of a year.
  • 10 to 40% of primary care patients have a diagnosable mental disorder.
  • 40 to 50% of primary care patients who are high utilizers exhibit significant psychological distress.

To help you coordinate behavioral health care, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has partnered with New Directions to create a PCP toolkit for behavioral health. Using this toolkit, you can help your patients address mental health and substance use issues, with resources that include:

  • Screening tools to determine patient treatment and referral needs
  • Physician Help Line for psychiatry (medication) consults
  • Resources for patient referrals and augmented treatment options, such as behavioral health care management services
  • Condition-specific tools to identify and appropriately treat patients who exhibit:
    • Depression
    • Anxiety
    • Suicidal thoughts
    • Substance abuse
    • Chronic pain
    • PTSD

To learn more, go to ndbh.com/PCP*** or call 1-877-233-3262.

**Statistics are from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Academy of Sciences.

***Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan doesn’t own or control this website

No portion of this publication may be copied without the express written permission of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, except that BCBSM participating health care providers may make copies for their personal use. In no event may any portion of this publication be copied or reprinted and used for commercial purposes by any party other than BCBSM.

*CPT codes, descriptions and two-digit numeric modifiers only are copyright 2019 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and
independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.