Behavioral Health

Psychiatric CoCM is care that is typically provided by a primary care team made up of a primary care physician (PCP) and a behavioral care manager. The team works in collaboration with a psychiatric consultant, such as a psychiatrist. The team is led by the PCP, and treatment consists of therapy sessions, care management and medication management.

Behavioral care managers are generally licensed behavioral health professionals such as psychologists, social workers or mental health counselors. They have the most interaction with the patient during the course of treatment. They provide therapy and care management as well as coordinate care between the patient and the rest of the CoCM care team.

The psychiatrist does not meet face-to-face with the patient. Instead, the psychiatrist meets with the Primary Care team on a weekly basis to review cases as needed and provides recommendations on treatment planning, medications (if indicated) and overall care. If the psychiatrist recommends medications and the PCP agrees, the PCP will be the one who writes the prescription.

Time in the program varies case by case. Generally, the typical length of treatment is around six months.

At the start of treatment, you can expect to meet with your BCM frequently to develop your goals and a treatment plan. As you progress through the program, your frequency and duration of sessions may taper off based on progress towards your goals and treatment plan. Typically, a patient in the program meets with their behavioral care manager every other week, though meetings could occur weekly or monthly. Types of therapy can include cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, motivational interviewing, and behavioral activation.

CoCM is ideal for treatment of mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety. Other conditions for which CoCM could be helpful include stress, grief, life transitions, relationship issues and healthy lifestyle changes, including sleep, smoke cessation, diet and exercise.

Depending on the patient’s insurance carrier and specific health plan, there may be a cost associated with participation in the program, including a potential co-pay. Generally, co-pays for CoCM mirror a PCP office visit co-pay. If there is a co-pay, it is only one payment per month, not per visit. The front desk staff at the primary care clinic can help determine if this service is covered, if there’s a co-pay and what that monthly co-pay would be. If there is a co-pay, it will be associated with the following CoCM billing codes: 99493, 99494, 99492.

Yes. The CoCM care team will work with the patient to determine the best course of treatment for the individual needs. In some cases, medications are not indicated or preferred, and therapeutic interventions are recommended separately.

These situations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis based on insurance coverage. If the patient has an outside mental health therapist, they may still benefit from CoCM specifically for medication management. Instead of traditional therapy the BCM will coordinate care to help reach any goals with medication as the recommended treatment approach.

These situations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. If appropriate the psychiatric consultant will not provide medication recommendations but can support the BCM with diagnostic clarification, psychosocial, care management, and psychotherapy recommendations.