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Primary care integration has been identified as a vital tool to advancing mental health and wellness and improving the position of mental health in the healthcare system. However, primary care providers are often stretched thin, and referring patients for additional mental health support is challenging due to limited availability. The impact of adding onsite mental health staff is also limited as their caseloads quickly hit maximum capacity. 

To help meet the growing demand for care, The Brookline Center with the support of Accelerate the Future is piloting a new approach using the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM). Integrating mental health services directly into primary care settings, the model improves care access and enhances clinical outcomes. 

Collaborative Care offers a patient-centric, evidence-based integrated care model designed to identify and treat patients by a team of healthcare providers working together to deliver comprehensive and coordinated mental health support. Care teams create personalized treatment plans that may include medication, therapy, behavior modification, and social support. Research shows this approach improves symptom management, reduces hospitalizations, and engages patients and families in the care process, thereby enhancing treatment effectiveness. 

“Our approach is guided by one simple question: how can we help providers better meet people’s needs where they are already accessing care,” said Innovation Institute Director of Implementation and Special Projects, Stephanie Trilling, who oversees the pilot project. “By adding mental health professionals to the primary care team, we can more effectively help individuals and families make progress towards their health and mental health goals.” 

In addition to expanding access and improving clinical outcomes, Collaborative Care leads to higher treatment initiation and completion rates, faster time to clinical improvements, greater patient and provider satisfaction, and reduced healthcare costs. Early signs suggest CoCM also creates a financially sustainable model for both patients and providers. 

At the outset of the pilot, the Center partnered with an Arlington-based family care practice and a pediatric practice in Brookline. Nearly 80% of youth patients treated by the CoCM team have reported positive outcomes.  

“We’re not just opening doors to care, we’re seeing real changes in our patients’ lives,” said Trilling. “At one site, we had a young teen who was struggling with anxiety and depression. Before the pilot, she was on a waitlist for more than six months to see a specialist. With CoCM, she got help right away.” 

Echoing this success, Dr. Caitlin King from Centre Pediatric Associates in Brookline added, “Since we began working with the Center’s Collaborative Care team, the impact on our patients has been remarkable. Families feel supported knowing they have a dedicated team looking out for both their physical and mental health. It’s truly been a game changer for our practice and our community.” 

A third site at Burlington High School opened this fall to pilot the Collaborative Care model within a school-based setting. At this location, we have seen an increase in Spanish-speaking students and families seeking care, reflecting the area’s growing immigrant population. Many of these families are uninsured or underinsured and lack regular access to medical care. The CoCM care manager bridges this gap by connecting students and families to both mental health and medical services, providing comprehensive support directly within the school. As schools across the Commonwealth are struggling to meet their students’ mental health needs, we hope to learn if this model can provide a sustainable pathway for improving adolescent mental health outcomes.