Integrated Behavioral Health

Welcome to the Division of Integrated Behavioral Health at UTRGV, where we are dedicated to advancing health equity through innovative initiatives that target workforce development across the bio-psychosocial spectrum of healthcare providers and tend to matters of workforce well-being. We have over 10 years of experience in training resident physicians, behavioral health professionals, and more recently, community health workers in advancing the reach of evidence-based behavioral health solutions to improve the health of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) community. Our programs focus on building resilience, improving access to behavioral health services, and developing a sustainable, culturally competent workforce to address the unique needs of the RGV and beyond.

We aim to reduce health disparities via Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) integration to provide time-sensitive, compassionate, culturally responsive care in partnership with our patients and their physicians. Our initiatives are designed to improve health outcomes for the healthcare workforce and underserved populations, to drive progress toward health equity. Our efforts at equipping the next generation of medical and behavioral health professionals through principles of integrated care prepare them to achieve high-value targets of effective healthcare, such as:

1. Comprehensive, coordinated, continuous, and first-contact for the population
2. Implementation of culturally adapted, evidence-driven approaches at the point of care
3. Sustainable improvement in access to whole-person care
4. Significantly reduce mental health stigma through primary care behavioral health integration
5. Infuse psychological flexibility competency through training, technology, and interactions to strengthen the resilience of our workforce

We are proud of our local, private, and federal funding partners that enable our work:

1. Local and regional funding partners:
   
   • The Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation
   • Methodist Healthcare Ministries: Serving Humanity to Honor God
2. National and federal funding partners:
   
   • Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
   • Research Centers in Minority Institutions Program (RCMI) Coordinating Center
   • National Institutes of Health (NIH): Turning Discovery into Health