Behavioral Health

Behavioral health providers and consumers are increasingly using electronic health records and other technologies to support prevention, treatment, and recovery activities. Learn more about efforts to adopt and use behavioral health information across the care continuum.

• Issue Brief: Behavioral Health & Health IT
• Rhode Island Behavioral and Medical Information Exchange Project

Health IT supports the bi-directional communication between primary care and behavioral health providers, and is a key enabler of integration.  Efforts to integrate care across primary and behavioral health care settings often rely on health IT to support communication, collaboration, and coordination across settings.

• Behavioral Health Data Exchange/ Primary Care and Behavioral Health Integration
• Behavioral Health Integration: Health IT Considerations
• Behavioral Health Admissions Integration
• The Behavioral Health Roundtable Report
• Behavioral Health Integration: Health IT Considerations: Funding and Procurement
• State Innovation Model Resource Center- Behavioral Health Integration Resources

Health information exchange can support behavioral health care by improving access to health information, and enabling communication among care teams and individuals. ONC grantee “bright spots” showcase approaches to share behavioral health data through health information exchange.

• Advance Interoperable Health Information Technology Services to Support Health Information Exchange Program

Health IT tools can help support behavioral health providers with navigating federal and state laws protecting the privacy of sensitive patient information. ONC and SAMHSA have developed fact sheets to help health information exchange organizations and healthcare providers learn how 42 CFR Part 2 provisions can be used across different environments, including through electronic health information exchange (HIE) mechanisms and in provider office settings.

• Disclosure of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records: Does Part 2 Apply to Me? [PDF - 1.4 MB]
• Disclosure of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records: How Do I Exchange Part 2 Data? [PDF - 1.6 MB]
• Behavioral Health Consent Management
• Managing behavioral health and substance abuse patients in an HIE
• HIPAA & Health IT

Behavioral health providers are increasingly asked to submit quality measures to evaluate performance. Health IT can help behavioral health providers collect and submit data, calculate measures, and report health outcomes.

• Behavioral Health Technical Expert Panel (TEP)

To help demonstrate the value of health IT, ONC developed an educational module that contains resources and information for behavioral health providers. In addition, the Health IT Playbook has implementation resources for behavioral health providers.

• Resources for Behavioral Health IT