Abstract
The majority of mental health and addiction problems initially present to a primary care provider, with many being treated only in primary care. Problems in the relationships with mental health services, however, often mean that individuals needing care often do not reach the services they require, while primary care providers do not always receive the support or assistance they are looking for. Increasingly, though, mental health services are recognizing the importance of working more collaboratively with primary care colleagues and an effective way of achieving this is by integrating mental health services within primary care settings. This can improve access and the patient’s experience, and expand the kinds of mental health services that can be delivered within a primary care practice, with new opportunities for earlier detection, relapse prevention, support for self-management, and assistance with system navigation. It opens up novel opportunities for continuing education, improves communication, and leads to better coordinated, less fragmented, and safer care. This chapter summarizes the benefits of collaborative partnerships, the core principles on which collaborative partnerships need to be based, the components and activities of effective collaborative initiatives, and the ways in which these approaches can help to address wider problems facing Canada’s health care systems.