A Qualitative Study of Perceptions and Attitudes of Counselor Trainees and Other Health Professionals About Including Counselors on Integrated Care Teams

Integrated healthcare facilities include medical and behavioral health services to meet the holistic needs of patients, particularly for those who are underserved. To maximize collaboration, professionals must be trained for their roles in integrated care, yet many counselor education programs are still not preparing trainees for this role. This article describes an integrated healthcare clinic and explores the role of counseling in the integrated care provided to patients through analysis of the perceptions and attitudes of counselor trainees and other health professionals at the clinic. Results indicate that counselors provide a valuable contribution to the integrated care team, however, expanded training to incorporate additional skills is needed to maximize success in these settings.