HealthLinc lands grant for behavioral health residency program

The Valparaiso-based healthcare provider said the funding will expand access to integrated mental health care for patients across Northern Indiana.

“Traditionally, medical and behavioral health services have been delivered separately, often resulting in delayed diagnoses, fragmented treatment and missed opportunities to address the underlying causes of patients' symptoms,” states Melissa Mitchell, HealthLinc CEO.

HealthLinc launched a behavioral health residency program in order to train more clinicians on the Primary Care Behavioral Health model.

The grant helps HealthLinc train second-year behavioral health residents to practice in primary care settings. The idea is to integrate behavioral health into primary care to ensure that patients get more support for both their physical and mental health needs.

HealthLinc will train three behavioral health residents, who will complete the clinical hours needed for licensure while treating an average of 250 patients each.

"By training the next generation of behavioral health clinicians, HealthLinc is building lasting capacity to meet patients where they already are. We're proud to support a workforce pipeline that will expand access to whole-person care for families across northern Indiana for years to come,” said Erica Woebse, associate director of the Valinhos Foundation.

HealthLinc served more than 24,000 patients with a behavioral health diagnosis, only 15% of which had access to a behavioral health therapist. It expects demand to rise in part due to restricted Medicaid responsibility.

"The support from the Valinhos Foundation helps us build a stronger behavioral health workforce and expand access to high-quality, integrated care for the communities we serve," said Mitchell. "This investment benefits not only our residents but also the thousands of patients who rely on HealthLinc for primary and behavioral health care.”