Participants should be aware of the following financial/non-financial relationships: . Rachael Matulis, MPH: I do not have any relevant financial / non-financial relationships with any proprietary interests.
Abstract: Oral health, mental health and substance use challenges have historically been undertreated in the U.S., often with stark disparities in access to care. A paper published in October 2020 by The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, “Environmental Scan of Oral Health and Behavioral Health Integration Models,” explored the specific associations between oral health, mental health and substance use challenges and highlighted the bi-directional nature of the relationship between these conditions. In other words, having a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety or a substance use disorder can negatively impact one’s oral health, and vice versa; poor oral health can create or exacerbate challenges associated with mental health, cognitive health and/or substance use.
Although more integrated oral health, mental health, and substance use treatment services hold promise to increase access to care, improve patient outcomes, and potentially reduce health care costs, no comprehensive set of resources previously existed to support organizations interested in advancing the integration of these services. This toolkit seeks to help oral and behavioral health providers increase integration by offering practical suggestions, resources, and on-the-ground examples for implementing new care models across a continuum.
In reviewing this poster, participants will be able to: • Understand the rationale for increased integration between oral health and behavioral health services and the opportunities to address health equity and racial disparities. • Describe different models of integration across oral and behavioral health services. • Explain positive outcomes that could result from increasing integration across oral and behavioral health systems.
Source of Funding: Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions, a Training and Technical Assistance Center funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, and run through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Website is here: https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/integrated-health-coe/
