What is the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM)?

The Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) is an evidence-based, team-driven approach that integrates behavioral health services into primary care. It connects primary care providers, behavioral health care managers, and psychiatric consultants to deliver coordinated, patient-centered care for common conditions such as depression and anxiety.

CoCM helps practices provide whole-person care, improve outcomes, and reduce costs through proactive management and measurement-based treatment.

Why Collaborative Care?

Research shows that integrating behavioral health into primary care through CoCM leads to:

• Improved clinical outcomes – up to 50% of patients see significant improvement in depression or anxiety within six months.
• Higher patient and provider satisfaction due to coordinated, accessible mental health support.
• Reduced total healthcare costs through early intervention and better chronic disease management.

By making mental health a standard part of primary care, CoCM helps practices address the growing behavioral health needs of their communities.

How Southern Regional AHEC Practice Support Can Help

Our Practice Support Team partners with primary care and behavioral health practices to guide them through every stage of CoCM implementation. We offer:

• Practice Support Coaching: Coaching includes help with best practices, workflows, proforma analysis, billing/coding, caseload tracker implementation, capacity building funds, psychiatric consultant resources, telehealth and continuing education programs.
• Capacity building funds via Community Care of NC (CCNC) and NC DHHS. Read more about CoCM capacity building funds here.
• Caseload Tracker or Data Registry at No Cost: CCNC provides an enhanced version of the AIMS Caseload Tracker registry for qualifying practices at no cost for a limited time here.

Whether your practice is exploring behavioral health integration or ready to begin CoCM, Southern Regional AHEC can help with every step of the way.

Ready to explore Collaborative Care for your practice?

Contact the Southern Regional AHEC Practice Support Team at practicesupport@ncahec.net to learn more.

Please provide us with your individual name, role, practice name, address, contact information and a brief description of your needs.