There’s no denying the physical and emotional suffering caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The increase in suffering also highlighted healthcare disparities as historically marginalized communities were impacted at a higher rate than others. This fact, coupled with public outcry against structural racism and discrimination sparked by George Floyd’s murder, presents us with the challenge of not only improving mental health access but doing so in a way that can improve health and well-being for all communities.

One approach to reaching out to underserved or marginalized communities is the integration of care. Healthcare systems generally use the term integrated care to describe a system in which multidisciplinary clinical professionals collaborate to provide patient-centered care. Examples of such efforts in behavioral health care include collaborative care programs that embed behavioral health in primary and specialty care medical practices, as well as mental health programs in schools and colleges that bridge the gap between vulnerable young people and the behavioral health services they need most.

However, integration goes beyond embedding behavioral health into medical and school settings.

Integration of clinical care in traditionally non-clinical settings allows us to reach out to communities that may have not benefited as well from the current healthcare delivery models. Healthcare entities need to collaborate with community-based organizations, such as faith-based programs and social service agencies to co-design solutions to do the vital work of culturally appropriate outreach and engagement.