Three Key Qualities that a Doctor of Behavioral Health Should Have

Before I talk about the Keys to being a Doctor of Behavior Health (DBH), I first must talk about the role of Behavioral Health Consultants (BHC) in Integrative Health.  BHC professionals work within the health care system to assist primary care physicians (PCP) and other departments of primary care (PC) with providing evidence-based interventions for patients in need of PC and mental health (MH) care.  Most BHCs have a degree in behavior health studies. A professional who has a doctorate degree in behavioral health is referred to as a DBH.

Bridging the gap between PC and MH has been a challenge especially because of the history of the lack of collaboration between the two systems. This lack of collaboration between PC and MH has resulted in primary care failing to provide effective interventions for patients. A BHC brings to the forefront the understanding that physical conditions are connected to mental conditions.  They do this by educating patients and other professionals about effective behavioral interventions. Effective interventions would include practices that would reduce the following for a patient: (1) wasting time with unnecessary treatments, (2) wasting money, and (3) increasing access to quality care.  

A DBH must have several key qualities in becoming effective in an integrative health setting. I will be focusing on 3 key qualities in this blog.

1. A DBH must be committed to patient centered services: A DBH will have plenty of opportunities to interact with patients directly and patients do not want to feel abandoned or disregarded. Having an attitude of respect and empathizing with the needs of the patient is important. This can be achieved when professionals in primary care prioritize collaboration with all team members involved in the patient’s overall care.
2. A DBH must promote cost-effective practices: A DBH will implement or recommend an integrative model within the healthcare system that provides a cost saving component. One such model, the Biodyne model, provides the patient with the appropriate therapeutic procedures treating psychological issues related to the somatic complaints; therefore, avoiding unnecessary medical procedures like surgery that can be very expensive. This is called “medical cost offset” (Cummings & Cummings, 2013). 
3. A DBH must educate others and emphasize the usage of evidence-based interventions for patients: A DBH will value results because results represent progress and skill acquisition to both the patient and PC professionals.

To understand further how a DBH as a BHC functions in the integrative care system please check out the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmiXvRIRWFE

Reference:

Cummings, N. A. & Cummings, J. L. (2013). Refocused psychotherapy as the first line 

intervention in behavioral health.  New York: Routledge.