Shaping the Future of Integrated Care through the Development of Innovative Educational, Training, and Clinical Programs

Physical and behavioral health have an interconnected impact on long-term health outcomes and recovery from chronic disorders. Despite this knowledge, those studying to work on the front lines of our healthcare system are not being sufficiently trained to recognize and address this critical connection underlying health outcomes. Integrated Care (IC) is a best-practice model that promotes a whole-person, comprehensive, and inter-professional approach to understanding and treating individuals with both physical and behavioral health morbidities. In order to properly train future and current providers to deliver this best-practice care, we need to create a pipeline to care delivery that starts with education for students who are early in their academic development, and filters to high-quality, interprofessional clinical training environments that are available throughout later years of training. Training also must be specifically informed by data on practices, perceptions, attitudes, and barriers to IC education and delivery. Attendees will learn about perceptions and barriers to care as surveyed at Rutgers University and hear about the model of academic and clinical training and care delivery used across Rutgers Health.