Resource Spotlight: Behavioral Health Care Manager Competencies for the Collaborative Care Model
When primary care practices implement or expand collaborative care, success depends on more than program design — it requires a workforce equipped with clear competencies and practical tools to deliver high-quality, sustainable care. Behavioral health care managers (BHCMs) are central to making collaborative care work, supporting care coordination, maintaining measurement-based care workflows, collaborating with primary care clinicians and psychiatric consultants, and ensuring patients receive timely follow-up and evidence-based interventions.
A no-cost, accredited, continuing-education (CE) course, Behavioral Health Care Manager Competencies for the Collaborative Care Model, was created in collaboration between Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, West Health and Northwestern Medicine. This training will help care teams develop the practical skills and shared processes required to deliver high-quality collaborative care at scale.
Developed to support real-world implementation, this no-cost, CE-accredited training reinforces the operational infrastructure required for collaborative care to succeed, including clear workflows, systematic case review processes and structured measurement-based care practices.
What does the training include?
The seven-module, interactive e-learning program guides participants through the core competencies, skills and workflows needed for effective collaborative care. Each module builds progressively, moving from foundational concepts to applied practice within the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM).
Module 1: Introducing the CoCM and the Role of the BHCM
- Explore the mental health continuum and available treatment options
- Gain a clear understanding of CoCM
- Examine the value of multidisciplinary teams and the distinct roles within CoCM
Module 2: BHCM Essentials for CoCM Workflow and Registry Use
- Outline the core responsibilities and essential skills of behavioral health care managers
- Walk through the key steps in the CoCM clinical workflow
- Explain the purpose of the patient registry and its alignment with collaborative care principles
Module 3: Foundations of Behavioral Health in Primary Care
- Define mental health disorders and distinguish among disorder, disease and diagnosis
- Review common presentations of prevalent behavioral health conditions in primary care
- Identify appropriate evidence-based treatment pathways
Module 4: CoCM Interventions and Team Communication
- Examine strategies to engage patients in collaborative care
- Apply evidence-based behavioral interventions within CoCM
- Respond effectively to behavioral health crises, including de-escalation and safety planning
Module 5: Collaboration, Care Planning and Documentation
- Learn which documentation practices promote collaboration and compliance
- Differentiate between billable and non-billable BHCM activities
- Reinforce essential components of case review and relapse prevention planning
Module 6: Person-Centered Care
- Define the principles of person-centered care
- Apply person-centered communication techniques in care planning
- Explore how self-awareness strengthens patient engagement
Module 7: Trauma-Informed Care
- Define trauma and common trauma responses
- Reviews the principles of trauma-informed care
- Equip yourself to apply trauma-informed strategies that foster safety, trust, engagement and resilience
- Across all modules, participants apply learning through case studies, practical exercises, hands-on workflow and documentation guidance. They will download tools that support real-world implementation of the skills they learn.
Who should take this course?
This no-cost training is designed for:
- Behavioral health care managers who are new to collaborative care or looking to strengthen foundational competencies
- Care teams building or expanding collaborative care programs
- Clinical leaders and implementers who support workflow design, documentation and team-based care processes
Access the training
The BHCM training is now available online. Get started here.