$1.87 Million Federal Grant to SLU Family Medicine Bolsters Behavioral Health Training
Saint Louis University has received a $1.87 million grant to strengthen behavioral health training for family physicians, who often are the primary physician seen by many adults and children, and for medical family therapists who practice alongside them.
The five-year Primary Care Training and Enhancement Award from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) will train family medicine residents and medical family therapy doctoral students in a Family Medicine Behavioral Health Collaborative Curriculum.
鈥淭here is a lot less stigma about coming to see your primary care physician,鈥� said principal investigator Christine Jacobs, M.D. 鈥淲e have a chance to start to address the mental health needs of our patients.鈥�
The program will place faculty and students from SLU鈥檚 medical family therapy program along with family medicine residents at Family Care Health Centers and SSM Heath St. Mary鈥檚 Hospital, allowing medical providers to offer extended services in the outpatient and inpatient setting immediately when they identify a patient that could benefit from behavioral therapeutic interventions.
The SLU Family Medicine Residency at Family Care Health Center at Carondelet opened in 2011. The residents provide medical care as part of their three-year training in Family Medicine.
Jacobs is the program director of the SLU Family Medicine Residency at SSM Health St. Mary鈥檚 Hospital and a professor in family and community medicine at Saint Louis University.
鈥淢any people use their primary care doctor as a first-line mental health provider,鈥� said Jacobs. 鈥淭his will strengthen training of family physicians and medical family therapists in integrated behavioral health.鈥�
There is a lot less stigma about coming to see your primary care physician. We have a chance to start to address the mental health needs of our patients.鈥�
Christine Jacobs, M.D.
Training of family medicine residents and medical family therapy students will ramp up on Jan. 1, 2017, Jacobs said, and will be held at SLU, as well as at Family Care and St. Mary鈥檚 Hospital.
鈥淭he family physicians in this setting are much more comfortable because of our behavioral health colleagues,鈥� Jacobs said. 鈥淲e work together to support the patient. We are opening doors rather than closing them.鈥�
Medical students and residents are increasingly aware of the power of behavioral modification to improve overall health.
鈥淭hey are asking for more education to help them help patients with diet, smoking, depression and other issues,鈥� Jacobs said.
The grant will fund enhanced training for family medicine residents and medical family therapy students, who will train together and learn from each other, with preceptors for both specialties.
鈥淲e have a great amount of expertise within our faculty in working with an underserved population,鈥� Jacobs said. 鈥淎nd we will collaborate with community resources like Alive and Well to assist us with trauma training. At the Family Care Health Centers we see traumas that reach our patients at every level.鈥�
Those traumas may include toxic living conditions, adult incarcerations and abject poverty, Jacobs said.
In the second year of the grant, full-day sessions in trauma-informed care, cognitive therapy, addictions and psychopharmacology are planned.
鈥淲e are family focused 鈥� we see patients ranging in age from 3 months to elderly,鈥� Jacobs said. 鈥淥ur physicians really have a chance to make a positive impact on mental health and improve outcomes for the whole family.鈥�