Collaborative care models (CoCM) that transform behavioral health services into primary care are seeing rapid growth in the U.S. healthcare system.
As a 2025 report noted, providers in the commercial market, which is dominated by employer coverage, increased participation in collaborative care models by 6.9 times nationally from 2018 to 2022. In 2023 that number escalated by 9.1 times, or 4,972 providers.
For both patients and behavioral health (BH) providers, this is a promising development. CoCM can play a crucial role in increasing access to mental healthcare within the primary-care setting, where only 50% of patients with a mental health disorder are recognized, and only 12.5% of those are properly treated.
However, more collaboration and CoCM participation requirements also brings more administrative burdens. Mental health professionals must ensure they can support claims with proper documentation, share sensitive information in an effective way with their care partners, and comply with regulations such as 42 CFR Part 2, which protects the confidentiality of patients with substance use disorders [SUDs].
