Collective BHI Solutions
Integrating behavioral health into primary care ensures providers deliver timely, patient-centered, comprehensive whole-person care while expanding access to behavioral health services, improving patient outcomes, enhancing care team satisfaction and reducing total cost of care. CQC’s Collective BHI Solutions drives alignment efforts that bring together stakeholders across California’s delivery system, including purchasers, health plans and provider organizations, to solve challenges such as behavioral health integration financing, data sharing and shared definitions.
Behavioral Health Integration Data Sharing (2026)
In partnership with Connecting for Better Health, CQC will engage plans and providers to create a blueprint for system and people-centered improvements focused on current capabilities organizations can implement to improve data sharing between providers and health plans facilitating the Collaborative Care model.
Behavioral Health Integration Payer Workgroup (2025 – 26)
CQC is convening a workgroup supporting commercial health plans to:
- Strengthen plan ability to collect and use data to reinforce strategic support for BHI
- Survey areas of network where payment disincentivizes BHI and take action
- Strategize with a network of health plan leaders on lessons learned and opportunities to increase integrated care across California
Participating organizations include Blue Shield of California, HealthNet, Sharp Health Plan, Sutter Health Plan, United with Optum, Western Health Advantage with Optum
Multi-stakeholder Alignment for BHI (2025)
CQC conducted interviews with four states experienced in multi-stakeholder alignment for BHI and proposed a statewide definition of behavioral health integration in primary care through a consensus process with various California stakeholders in this paper.
Behavioral Health Integration – Financing Opportunities (2024)
CQC conducted a state-wide landscape assessment to identify, synthesize and communicate successful practices to ensure sustainable payment for behavioral health integration into primary care. CQC interviewed key stakeholders, including health plans and provider organizations, addressing related contracts, claims, credentialing and strategic planning. The Sustainable Behavioral Health Integration Financing: Successful Practices and Opportunities paper identifies practices that facilitate sustainable payment for behavioral health integration into primary care in commercial settings for providers, payers, purchasers and regulators.
Support
Behavioral Health Integration Financing is possible thanks to the generous support of Blue Shield California Industry Initiatives.
Featured
Defining Behavioral Health Integration in Advanced Primary Care
CQC’s new issue brief draws on insights from California and other states to inform how behavioral health integration can be implemented, supported and sustained.
Strengthening Pediatric Behavioral Health Integration: New Toolkit for Providers
The BHI-CYCLE Toolkit was developed from a statewide collaborative to help providers integrate behavioral health into pediatric primary care. The toolkit highlights seven key areas and features case studies from providers across California.
Scaling Behavioral Health Integration Across California
CQC’s Behavioral Health Integration Initiative reached over 730,000 Californians in 2024 by helping primary care teams expand screening, improve access and deliver more equitable care—strengthening whole-person health across communities.
Resources
Aligning for Impact: A Shared Definition and Multi-Stakeholder Insights on BHI in California
Behavioral Health Integration Initiative Annual Report 2024
BHI Payer Workgroup Resources
BHI Children and Youth Collaborative Learning Exchange Toolkit
Behavioral Health Integration Billing and Coding Sheet
Sustainable Behavioral Health Integration Financing: Successful Practices and Opportunities
BHI Quarterly Implementation Update
Behavioral Health Integration Initiative Annual Report 2023
Weaving Together Mental and Physical Health Care Outside the Safety Net
This 2020 paper, supported by the California Health Care Foundation, focuses on opportunities to support practice change in primary care to deliver integrated care outside the safety net.
Past Events and Training
Behavioral Health Integration Implementation Webinar Series
The California Quality Collaborative’s Behavioral Health Integration Implementation Webinar Series is a three-part webinar series for health care organizations planning and implementing behavioral health integration.
Cal-IN Peer Group
In partnership with the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association, the California Quality Collaborative is hosting quarterly virtual peer group meetings for individuals working to integrate behavioral health care into the primary care setting in California.