Integrating Behavioral Health Services for Homeless Mothers and Children in Primary Care

This article describes an innovative trauma-informed care management model in which mental health, substance abuse, and support services are integrated for homeless families in primary care. The rationale for service integration in a health care setting is discussed and the conceptual underpinnings of the model are elaborated, drawing from the literature and clinical experience. Service encounter data collected by each staff member over a 1-year period (N = 7,214 encounters) allow for description of program functions and provider roles and activities, an essential step in developing the fidelity indicators necessary for future program replication and rigorous testing in additional settings. The feasibility of implementing an integrated set of services for homeless families in primary care is demonstrated. Practice, training, and research implications are discussed.