Be Merge:
Integrating Primary and Behavioral Health Care


With support from the Palm Healthcare Foundation, the United Way of Palm Beach County and the Health Care District, MHA is changing the way that primary care and behavioral health services are integrated in Palm Beach County. The Be Merge Primary and Behavioral Health Integration Initiative has studied ways of educating doctors, nurses and medical students about recognizing mental health issues in the primary care setting and treating them appropriately.  We have created a new online training for primary care clinics that want to integrate mental health and primary care. Our Care Access Navigation Services System (CANSS) is linking people needing integrated health care with the resources they need. 

We are delivering our training and technical assistance to several clinics in Palm Beach County inluding Genesis, Foundcare, and soon we are expanding to the Glades!

 

Be Merge Training

Be Merge is a self-paced online training program for primary care providers to assist with the integration of mental health and substance abuse recognition, diagnosis, management, and referral into the primary care practice.  We invite physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and all who work in primary care to take this important training.  The training is comprised of six online self-paced training modules, which are about 20-30 minutes in length. 

  • Module 1: What is Be Merge: Introduction and Rationale
  • Module 2: Common Mental Health Disorders in Primary Care Practice.
  • Module 3: Interviewing for Behavioral Health Issues.
  • Module 4: Evidence-Based Screening Tools.
  • Module 5: Medication Treatment Protocols.
  • Module 6: Billing Opportunities and Integration of Practice.

 Also included:

  • Ongoing technical and clinical support provided by the Be Merge Team.
  • Up to date, evidence-based desktop reference materials.
  • Virtual access to referrals to behavioral health specialists.
  • Opportunity to earn continuing education credits.
  • Training completion results in Be Merge certification.
  • There is no charge for this training during this introductory period!

If you are interested in becoming Be Merge Certified or are just interested in taking the training, please contact us at 561-832-3755 or info@mhapbc.org OR register online at https://www.mhapbc.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=eventregistration.register&step=1 .  
 

Provider Directory

Our effort to provide access to quality mental health and substance abuse care and treatment, the Mental Health Association of Palm Beach County has created an online Provider Directory.   Community members contact us regularly asking for names of professionals to assist them with their mental and behavioral health issues.  To answer that need, we have developed a comprehensive online directory of providers that is accessible to all. If you are a behavioral health service provider and would like to be included in the directory, please complete the online Provider Information form.

If you are looking for a behavioral health provider, please search our Provider Directory.

For more information on the network, please call us at 561-832-3755. We're sure you'll find the Provider Referral Network of great value to mental health professionals and the community, and we ask your assistance in passing along this information to your colleagues.

You are not required to join the Mental Health Association to participate in this referral network, and there is no charge to be a part of it. However, we hope that you will take a moment to browse through this website and after seeing all the wonderful work we are doing, you will wish to join as a member if you have not done so already. This will enable you to take advantage of the Continuing Education (CEU) programs along with other networking opportunities at reduced rates.  

 

Be Merge Toolkit

Reliable screening tools have been collected from a number of credible sources and are available on our website. The tools are the property of the authors and/or publishers and are used with their permission.

Please take the Be Merge training to learn how to use these simple screening tools.

If you have any questions please call Pam Gionfriddo at the Mental Health Association at 561.832.3755 or by email pgionfriddo@mhapbc.org.