Marta Rodriguez Navigating Integrated Care

For my first response paper, I chose to write about Dr. Marta Rodriguez’s lecture on Navigating Integrated Care and the Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH) Program. Primary care physicians will usually immediately refer a patient who is experiencing systems of depression, anxiety, or stress to a behavioral health clinician. Patients need the absolute full support of a behavioral health clinician in order to achieve the finest treatment possible. To be completely honest, I don’t know much about the PCBH program. Dr. Rodriguez provided our class with plenty of valuable information. Prior to Dr. Rodriguez’s lecture, I had common knowledge on some of the responsibilities of a behavioral health clinician. I know that behavioral health clinicians often work in all different types of health facilities. I have a ton of respect for Dr. Rodriguez’s career

This lecture is beneficial for students interested in a career in health care. Patients with mental and substance abuse disorders may die sooner than the average person from untreated and preventable chronic illnesses. Patients can benefit from integrated care. It’s considered the most effective approach to caring for people with multiple healthcare needs. From Dr. Rodriguez’s lecture, I learned the different levels of care. I learned that the need of the patient will determine their individual level of care. I also learned that integrated care basically means that our community must have behavioral health services within primary care settings. Clinical psychologists like Dr. Rodriguez, usually don’t work alone. They work alongside other behavioral and medical fields. Working together as a team is crucial. I also learned some of the body reactions when experiencing a high level of stress. During a stressful event, a person may have an increase of blood pressure, and muscle tension. Soon after a stressful event, a person’s pulse will start to