Integrated Behavioral Health at Texas A&M
Training physicians, residents, and behavioral health professionals to deliver whole-person care—and building the research, tools, and clinical partnerships that make it possible.Advance whole-person healthcare with leading training for physicians, residents, and behavioral health professionals. Discover research, clinical tools, and partnerships.
Why Integrated Behavioral Health?
More Than Half
of U.S. counties have no practicing psychiatrist, leaving many communities without direct access to specialty behavioral health care.
84% of Texas Counties
are federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas for behavioral health.
Often the Only Provider
Research suggests primary care physicians are frequently the only behavioral health provider their patients ever see.
Why Integrated Behavioral Health Matters
Behavioral health conditions show up everywhere in medicine — in the exam room, the emergency department, the maternity department. When behavioral health is built into primary care instead of referred out, patients get care faster, providers feel more equipped, and outcomes improve. That’s the premise behind our program at Texas A&M.
Learn MoreWhat We Do
Integrated behavioral health only works when training, education, research, and clinical care move together. Here’s how each piece fits.
- Training & Resources
Practical tools and courses that help primary care teams recognize and respond to behavioral health needs — from a five-minute reference guide to full continuing-education workshops.
- Education
Degree and certificate programs building the next generation of integrated behavioral health providers, taught by faculty who practice what they teach.
- Research
Studies and pilot programs that test what actually works in real clinics — and the grant funding that makes it possible.
- Clinical Care
A growing network of partner clinics putting integrated behavioral health into practice for patients today.
Built Through Academic and Community Collaboration
This program was developed through the Texas A&M Family Medicine Residency Program in the Department of Primary Care and Rural Medicine at the Texas A&M University Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine in collaboration with clinical educators, faculty, and community partners serving patients across the Brazos Valley region. Existing partnerships with community-based care settings informed the practical design of these materials and trainings.
Faculty & Staff
Meredith Williamson, PhD
Clinical Associate ProfessorAdjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Director of Integrated Behavioral Health
Associate Program Director, Family Medicine Residency Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine
Interested in Taking Your Next Step?
Primary care is the frontline of health care—and increasingly, the frontline of behavioral health. Yet many providers are expected to manage depression, anxiety, substance use, and other behavioral health concerns with limited training and even fewer resources. We aim to provide practical, evidence-based strategies to confidently assess and treat behavioral health conditions—whether or not there are dedicated behavioral health supports within the primary care practice. Resources developed through this program are an excellent primer on behavioral health for undergraduate and graduate medical education settings.