Primary Care Behavioral Health Partnerships Advancing & Transforming Health Sciences (PCBH PATHS)

About: The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) faces significant socio-economic challenges, with over a third of its residents living in poverty and high rates of uninsured individuals. Approximately 260,000 residents experience mild to moderate behavioral health conditions each year, yet access to behavioral health care remains limited, with fewer mental health providers per capita than the state average. Given that nearly 90.5% of the population identifies as Hispanic/Latino, the need for culturally relevant interventions is more pressing than ever. The Primary Care Behavioral Health Partnerships Advancing & Transforming Health Sciences (PCBH PATHS) Initiative is dedicated to addressing these disparities through integrating behavioral health services in primary care settings, workforce development, and implementing culturally competent wellness programs for healthcare trainees. This includes increasing access to curricula content developed to target primary care providers to improve their understanding of the PCBH Model, basic and advanced behavioral health interventions, and skills-oriented modules to map and attend to their own wellbeing.  

Mission: The mission of PCBH PATHS is to improve access to behavioral health care and reduce health disparities in the RGV by training healthcare professionals in the evidence-based Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) model. This initiative enhances addiction and behavioral health training in primary care and provides wellness programs for healthcare trainees. By developing a tailored PCBH model for university-affiliated healthcare training programs, PCBH PATHS seeks to promote health equity, advance whole-person care, and equip healthcare providers to address the complex biopsychosocial health needs of underserved populations. Through these efforts, we aim to create lasting improvements in the health and well-being of the RGV community 

Impact: From 2019 to 2022, the Primary Care Behavioral Health training program engaged 205 trainees, with 67.3% (n = 138) identifying as Hispanic and 70.2% (n = 144) as underrepresented minorities. Post-training, 91.8% (n = 134) of trainees reported working in primary care and 83.6% (n = 122) reported working in underserved communities. By training primary care teams to address biopsychosocial health needs, the initiative has broadened access to integrated care and deliver timely behavioral health access. PCBH PATHS also emphasizes early intervention, reduces stigma surrounding mental health, and encourages the adoption of evidence-based behavioral health strategies tailored to the Hispanic/Latino community. This comprehensive, team-based model is crucial for improving health outcomes and tackling healthcare disparities in historically underserved areas. Looking ahead, we aim to expand the PCBH model to additional clinics and continue assessing its impact on underserved populations. Our goal is to further integrate holistic, evidence-based practices into the region’s healthcare system, fostering lasting improvements in health equity throughout the RGV.