Many people struggle with feelings of anxiety and depression. Normally these feelings go away on their own, but sometimes they begin to interfere with daily life, and start to impact jobs or relationships.  Our Collaborative Care Program is a new way to provide effective mental health care in the primary care setting.

Our Collaborative Care Program creates a team of your primary care provider, a behavioral health care manager, a consulting psychiatrist, and you to support your mental and emotional wellness. Through close monitoring and follow up, your Collaborative Care team can plan and adjust your treatment to ensure you’re feeling better sooner rather than later.

 How the Collaborative Care Program works

1. You’ll meet with your primary care provider to discuss your behavioral and emotional wellness and possible treatment options.
2. If you’re interested in or referred to our Collaborative Care Program, you’ll meet with a behavioral health care manager to create a treatment plan that includes medication and/or traditional talk therapy.
3. Over the following weeks, you’ll meet in-person or virtually with the behavioral health care manager to have talk therapy, monitor medication effectiveness, and ensure you’re starting to feel better. You’ll also meet with your primary care team approximately monthly for any medication adjustments that may be needed. If needed, your primary care provider will consult with a collaborating psychiatrist to ensure you’re getting the best possible treatment.
4. At the end of your treatment, usually 3-4 months, you’ll create a relapse prevention plan with your behavioral health care manager to help you stay feeling better. If your symptoms persist or if you may benefit from specialty care at that point, we’ll help you get connected to behavioral health or psychiatry services in the community for ongoing care.

The Collaborative Care Program is not for patients who need long-term medication management, patients who have severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, patients who are actively suicidal, or patients being prescribed controlled substances such as benzodiazepines or stimulants.

For more information, talk to your primary care provider or call us at (808) 872-4068.

For anyone who may be experiencing a medical or mental health emergency, the CARES Line provides a team of trained and experienced professionals to help individuals in times of a mental health crisis. The CARES Line is there to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. On Oahu, call at 832-3100. On the neighbor islands, call toll-free at 1-800-753-6879 or dial 988.

If you are experiencing an emergency or believe you are a danger to yourself and/or others, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for immediate assistance.