Indian Family Health Clinic 2019
Hope, Healing & Health in an Urban Indian Community
The Indian Family Health Center (IFHC) in Great Falls used this grant to develop and implement integrated behavioral health (IBH) services in its clinical and chemical dependency practices to serve the North Central Montana and Great Falls urban Indian communities. IFHC began by assessing its organizational readiness and identifying potential barriers to implementation. It then developed and initiated a plan, which included introducing and implementing care pathways for depression, suicide, and anxiety, as well as screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) protocols. IFHC implemented plans for making referrals to specialty care, tracking patients as they move from one level of care to another, and training staff on key elements of IBH. COVID-19 and other logistical problems posed challenges, but IFHC was able to continue providing care—through both in-person and telehealth services—and moved its IBH program forward. The IBH model is now a self-sustaining part of IFHC’s care delivery system.