The Kalamazoo Collaborative Care Program began in 2016, because of several suicides of high-profile community members and the increasing rates of depression and anxiety nationally. An initial needs survey identified three major issues:
- Health care providers had difficulty in accessing mental health providers—awareness of where to send patients and timely access were notable issues.
- Stigma of mental health often limit individuals seeking care.
- Mental health services in Kalamazoo are fragmented / often not coordinated.
In the process of trying to move the needle to better care, the first intervention used the Collaborative Care Model. Collaborative Care is a recognized model of care delivery that efficiently uses the psychiatrist time and expertise to help guide primary care clinics with common problems such as anxiety and depression. This model has been studied for over ten years and has been shown to have good outcome efficacy and high patient and provider satisfaction.
When the patient’s primary care provider initiates a patient referral to collaborative care, the behavioral health specialist (BHS) performs the initial assessment to ascertain the presenting problem and create a provisional diagnosis to review with the consulting psychiatrist. The BHS utilizes a registry to keep track of all patients. The BHS discusses the initial assessment with the consulting psychiatrist who provides a suggested treatment plan to the referring physician/provider who reviews and executes the treatment plan. Each patient enrolled in the program is reviewed every month or more often, if necessary, after the initial assessment. Per BCBSM, the average time for participants in the program to reach remission from depression and anxiety was 16 weeks, compared with 52 weeks of traditional direct care approaches.
Collaborative care addresses the stigma that some patients may experience as the actual care is delivered with the patient working with known providers managing their other medical issues. The consulting psychiatrist's recommendation goes back to the patient's provider who will then choose to enact the suggestions provided by the consulting psychiatrists.
- KCCP Mission and Vision
The mission of the Kalamazoo Collaborative Care Program (KCCP) is to improve the access and coordination of mental health services within our local community and to decrease the stigma of mental illness. Our vision is to collaboratively improve the health systems of Kalamazoo so mental health is coordinated and seamless from the patient’s perspective.
- The Kalamazoo Commitment: Accessible Quality Mental Health for All
The Kalamazoo Collaborative Care Program (KCCP) is to be a multiagency clearinghouse for innovative programs to improve mental health access and services for Kalamazoo County.
- Give to KCCP
If you would like to give a monetary gift to the Kalamazoo Collaborative Care Program, please click on the button below.
You can also mail your your donation to (make check payable to Kalamazoo Collaborative Care Program):WMU Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine
Office of Development and Alumni Affairs
1000 Oakland Drive
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Kalamazoo Collaborative Care Model
KCCP has five main objectives:
- Improve accessibility for more timely mental health services
- Decrease the stigma associated with seeking mental health services
- Close the gaps in mental health services
- Improve communication between agencies and provide a community wide directory for mental health services
- Promote collaboration of care with primary care practices for adults and adolescents with mild to moderate depression and anxiety, as well as expanding into specialty practices.
Depression is the leading cause of disability in the world and costs the U.S. economy $210 billion per year in lost productivity. As of 2018, 16 million people suffered from depression in the United States. With the Covid-19 pandemic this has risen exponentially. Thirty percent of people with depression do not get better after two or more treatments and it can take more than two months to determine if medication will even work.
As of June 5, 2020, Michigan identified 58,241 people with Covid-19, with a total of 5,595 deaths. The pandemic has led to a huge spike in depression and anxiety. The effects are wide spread with social isolation showing as the greatest contributor to this spike. Economic/financial effects, loss of jobs, homelessness, front-line healthcare worker burnout and concerns for themselves, their patients, and their families, family depression, and racial barriers have been devastating for many during this time.
With the staggering mental health toll stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic the Kalamazoo Collaborative Care Program will come together with the community to provide and identify resources for quicker access to care and commit to fillling the gaps in mental health services.