Psychology in patient-centered medical homes: Reducing health disparities and promoting health equity.

With persisting health disparities contributing to a disproportionate impact on the health and well-being of socially disenfranchised and medically underserved populations, the emerging patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model offers promise in bridging the health disparities divide. Because behavioral health care is an important component of the PCMH, psychologists have significant opportunity to contribute to the development and implementation of PCMH services in settings that primarily serve medically underserved communities. In this article, after briefly defining the PCMH model and its role in clinical settings for medically underserved populations for whom health disparities are present, roles of psychologists as interprofessional collaborators on PCMH medical care teams are explored. Next, the constellation of competencies that position psychologists as behavioral health specialists to contribute to PCMH care teams for medically underserved groups are characterized. The article concludes with reflections on the prospects for psychologists to make tangible contributions as health care team members toward reducing health disparities and promoting health equity in patients served in the PCMH. (PsycINFO Database Record

Meeting evolving workforce needs: Preparing psychologists for leadership in the patient-centered medical home.

Behavioral health integration in the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) offers opportunities for psychologists to play leadership roles. Widespread practice transition to PCMH models of care are expected to substantially impact the psychology workforce. Conservative estimates suggest that approximately 90% of the 93,000 clinically trained psychologists would be required to meet projected need in these settings. This has implications for how health service psychologists are trained. In addition to relevant clinical competencies, they must be versed in system/program development, administration, evaluation, quality improvement, and interprofessional collaboration. Herein, the need to introduce psychologists to the many potential roles in the PCMH is underscored. Inherent to effective work in the PCMH is the synthesis of professional competences in addition to those traditionally included in psychology training. We offer a competency-based PCMH training framework adapted from levels of intensity in the Education and Training Guidelines: A taxonomy for education and training in professional psychology health service specialties (American Psychological Association, 2012). Practical examples of training activities, taking into account available programmatic resources, also are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record