Collaborative Care Management
Integrated Behavior Health
The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) enables primary care practices to provide effective, evidence-based behavioral health care by embedding a care manager and psychiatric consultant into the team.
What is CoCM?
Collaborative Care Management (CoCM) is a team-based approach to behavioral health that integrates behavioral health services into primary care. It brings together the primary care provider, a behavioral health care manager, and a psychiatric consultant to support patients with conditions such as depression and anxiety — giving primary care teams access to additional behavioral health expertise while allowing patients to receive most of their care in the primary care setting.
Why use CoCM?
CoCM can help healthcare organizations:
- Integrate behavioral health support directly into primary care
- Expand the care team with behavioral health care management and psychiatric consultation
- Identify and address behavioral health needs earlier, before they become more complex
- Improve care coordination through structured communication and follow-up
- Support measurement-based care using standardized assessments to track progress
- Extend psychiatric expertise without requiring every patient to see a psychiatrist
- Reduce barriers associated with accessing separate behavioral health services
Best Practices
Successful CoCM programs should:
- Establish clearly defined roles for each member of the care team
- Use standardized screening and measurement tools to identify needs and monitor progress
- Build a consistent process for patient engagement, enrollment, follow-up, and discharge
- Maintain a structured registry or tracking system for patients receiving care
- Hold regular communication between the PCP, behavioral health care manager, and psychiatric consultant
- Use measurement-based care to guide treatment decisions
- Build workflows that incorporate psychiatric consultation efficiently
- Maintain clear documentation, billing, and referral processes
- Provide ongoing training and support for staff
Explore Programs & Resources
The South Carolina Telehealth Alliance includes participating organizations and programs that offer telehealth services across South Carolina. Explore available programs and resources to learn how these services are implemented.
MUSC: Learn how MUSC implements Collaborative Care Management, including program highlights, a video, and additional resources. View the MUSC program
More partner programs coming soon.