Integrated Behavior Health 

Northwest Pediatric Center has invested in building a truly Integrated Behavior Health Team (IBHT). Our Master’s-level behavioral health therapists, board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, licensed social worker, and dietitian partner with your primary care provider as integral members of your child’s healthcare team. By having all of these services integrated into our primary care clinic, we can facilitate early identification of and intervention for behavioral issues that might impact physical health and vice versa.

 

The importance of integrated behavioral health

A well-rounded, holistic approach to wellness focuses not only on physical health, but also mental and emotional well-being. For decades, the medical community has broadly recognized the importance of preventative care. Preventative screenings such as mammograms and Pap smears help physicians catch ailments early and treat them before they become more serious. The same principle can be applied to behavioral health.

A preventative approach to wellness acknowledges that certain social determinants, such as lack of housing, food insecurity, or domestic violence, can severely impact a child’s health and well-being. Other circumstances, such as divorce, death of a caregiver, changing schools, or being bullied, can also trigger behavioral and physical health consequences. In addition, many physical and behavioral conditions are deeply intertwined, e.g., irritable bowel disease and anxiety; migraines and stress; and chronic pain and depression. These must be treated in tandem for best results.

NWPC helps families build confident, resilient children by:

    • Proactively screening all patients within its primary-care setting for potential life stressors and trauma;
    • Screening for common mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and substance use during routine checkups;
    • Utilizing brief, targeted interventions based on screening results to address early signs of behavioral concerns; and
    • Educating families on healthy coping mechanisms to manage stress.

After all, building healthy kids is what we’re all about!

Meet our

Integrated behavior health team