A coordinated approach to health care that combines physical and behavioral health services is called what?

• A. Integrated health care
• B. Intervention
• C. Early recovery
• D. Lapse

Answer: (A)

Integrated health care is when physical and behavioral health services are coordinated within one system to treat the whole person. This approach ensures mental health, substance use treatment, and medical care share information, align treatment plans, and are delivered by teams that communicate regularly. It helps reduce fragmentation, improves access to care, and often leads to better health outcomes because providers consider how physical and mental health influence each other. For example, a person with diabetes and depression receives coordinated medical management and behavioral support from a single care team. The other terms describe a specific action, a stage in recovery, or a brief return to use, not a coordinated system of care.