AHRQ’s playbook helps practices integrate behavioral health

The AHRQ Integration Academy’s Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care Playbook is a practical, comprehensive resource designed to help primary care practices implement and sustain integrated behavioral health (IBH). Whether a practice is just beginning its integration journey or is working to strengthen and expand existing services, the Playbook offers evidence-informed guidance, actionable tools, and real-world strategies to support whole-person care.

One of the best places for users to begin is the Playbook’s Integration Self-Assessment Checklist, which helps practices evaluate their current level of integration and identify priority areas for improvement. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, the self-assessment helps organizations identify the sections of the Playbook most relevant to their setting, goals, workforce, and patient population. Practices can then customize their implementation strategy and focus on the components most critical to their integration goals.

The Playbook covers a wide range of foundational and emerging topics in integrated care. Users can explore sustainable financing strategies, including value-based payment models, braided funding approaches, and methods for building a business case for integration. Practices will also find resources focused on optimizing electronic health records (EHRs) to improve communication, documentation, workflows, and population health management. In addition, the Playbook highlights data-driven approaches to identifying patient needs, monitoring outcomes, and improving care coordination across teams.

Recognizing the growing role of technology in healthcare delivery, the Playbook also includes guidance on integrating behavioral health through telehealth and digital health tools. These approaches can help practices expand access, improve continuity of care, and better serve patients facing transportation, workforce, or geographic barriers to receiving behavioral health services.

Importantly, the Playbook includes content tailored to the realities of rural and underserved settings, where access to behavioral health providers and resources may be limited. Rural practices can find strategies for building sustainable care models, leveraging telehealth, strengthening partnerships, and addressing workforce shortages while still delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.

With workflow examples, financing guidance, implementation tools, and curated resources organized in an easy-to-navigate format, the Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care Playbook meets practices where they are to help them move integration efforts forward with confidence.