Internal Behavioral Health Consultant Service
The Internal Behavioral Health Consultation Service offers assistance when habits, behaviors, stress, worry, or emotional concerns about physical or other life problems are interfering with someone’s daily life and/or overall health.
The Internal Behavioral Health Consultant (IBHC) works with your Primary Care Manager (PCM) to evaluate the mind-body-behavior connection and provide brief, solution-focused interventions in 15-25 minute visits typically.
The IBHC has specialty training in the behavioral management of health problems. Together, the IBHC and your PCM can consider all of the physical, behavioral, and emotional aspects of your health concern and help you determine a course of action that will work best for you.
Are you eligible to receive these services?
The service is available to all patients within the U.S. Naval Hospital Rota as a part of good overall health care.
If you are interested in scheduling an appointment with an IBHC, please discuss this with your PCM.
Types of health concerns that we see
The IBHC can help you reduce symptoms associated with various chronic medical conditions or help you cope better with these conditions. A few of these are:
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Headaches
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Diabetes
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Sleep
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Obesity
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High Blood Pressure
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Asthma
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Chronic Pain
The IBHC can help you and your PCM develop behavioral change plans for weight loss, exercise or other lifestyle modifications.
The IBHC can also help you and your PCM develop skills to effectively manage emotional or behavioral difficulties such as:
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Depression
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Anxiety
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Stress
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Anger
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Family Problems
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Bereavement
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Relationship Problems
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What you can expect when you see the IBHC?
Expect the IBHC to ask you specific questions about your physical symptoms, any emotional concerns you are experiencing, your behaviors, and how all of these might be related. You can expect your appointments to be no longer than 30 minutes, in general, and for the IBHC to provide brief, solution-focused assessment and treatment. You can also expect to be seen in this clinic and for the IBHC to have a close working relationship with your PCM.
Remember: You AND your PCM remain in charge of your health care – the IBHC’s primary job is to help you and your PCM develop and implement the best integrated health care plan for YOU!
How is this service different from Mental Health
The services provided by the IBHC are simply another part of your overall health care and are not specialty mental health care.
Documentation of your assessment and recommendations from the IBHC will be written in your medical record. A separate mental health record will not be kept when you see the IBHC.
Communications with your IBHC may not be entirely confidential. Your IBHC will make every effort to protect your privacy. But, like all providers, they must report information from any active duty patient that could have a negative impact on our mission.
You will be seen in the U.S. Naval Hospital Rota Medical Home Port. The IBHC will not provide traditional psychotherapy. If you request, or the IBHC thinks you would benefit from specialty mental health services, the IBHC will recommend that you and your PCM consider specialty mental health services and complete a referral.