New Study Finds Integrating Behavioral Health into Pediatric Primary Care Reduces Symptoms

In recent years, the escalating mental health crisis among children and adolescents has become a pressing concern worldwide. This rising tide of behavioral and emotional difficulties demands innovative approaches that can deliver effective care within accessible settings. Pioneering research led by the Transforming and Expanding Access to Mental Health Care Universally in Pediatrics (TEAM UP) Scaling and Sustainability Center at Boston Medical Center (BMC) sheds new light on this challenge. Their study, published in the prestigious JAMA Network Open, rigorously evaluates the impact of integrated behavioral health services for children delivered through the TEAM UP Model™—a transformative framework designed to embed mental health care directly into pediatric primary care clinics.

The TEAM UP Model™ represents a multifaceted, multidisciplinary approach to behavioral health integration that fundamentally redefines how mental health services are provided to children within the primary care environment. Instead of relying on externally referred services, TEAM UP promotes seamless collaboration between behavioral health clinicians, community health workers, and primary care providers. This tightly knit team facilitates early identification and intervention for behavioral health issues, aiming to improve developmental trajectories and reduce the burden of untreated psychosocial symptoms. Central to TEAM UP is the vision that mental and physical health are inextricably linked and must be addressed synchronously within the same clinical setting.

Dr. Jihye Kim spearheaded the observational study encompassing 942 children aged four through eighteen years who presented with identified behavioral health concerns at four federally qualified health centers in Massachusetts. These centers had proactively adopted the TEAM UP Model to extend comprehensive behavioral health services to their pediatric populations. The investigation relied on longitudinal measurement of psychosocial symptoms utilizing the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (PSC-17), a widely validated screening instrument designed to quantify emotional and behavioral functioning in youth. Using this tool, clinicians and researchers assessed changes in PSC-17 scores pre- and post-intervention to evaluate the efficacy of behavioral health treatments delivered through the integrated care model.

Findings from this extensive cohort study revealed a statistically significant reduction in PSC-17 scores following behavioral health intervention, indicating a meaningful amelioration of psychosocial symptoms among children. Importantly, these results suggest that engagement with the TEAM UP Model’s integrated services translates into tangible improvements in emotional and behavioral health over time. This evidence supports the premise that embedding behavioral health clinicians within pediatric primary care settings can overcome traditional barriers related to stigma, access, and fragmented care pathways, thereby enhancing treatment outcomes.

Dr. R. Christopher Sheldrick, PhD, co-director of research and evaluation at TEAM UP and senior author on the study, emphasizes the significance of these findings: previous research had largely focused on access, documenting that TEAM UP increases availability of services. This investigation advances the field by demonstrating clinically meaningful symptom reduction as reported by children and their caregivers. The implication is profound—integrated care not only connects more families to mental health resources but also drives improvements in child well-being.

The TEAM UP Model’s design, co-developed with frontline pediatric practices, facilitates a cohesive team-based care infrastructure that is attuned to the unique needs of diverse communities. By incorporating community health workers alongside licensed behavioral health providers and pediatricians, the model fosters culturally sensitive, community-engaged care delivery. This innovative strategy maximizes efficiency and offers a holistic, person-centered approach that addresses social determinants of health alongside clinical symptoms, thereby promoting sustainable well-being for children and families.

Moreover, Megan Bair-Merritt, MD, MSCE, Chief Scientific Officer for BMC Health System and former leader of TEAM UP’s research initiatives, highlights the dual advantage of this integrated care model. Beyond improving access, the integrated nature of TEAM UP ensures that pediatric practices witness firsthand the synergistic benefits of addressing mental and physical health in tandem within a single, convenient setting. This eliminates the fragmented experiences often faced by families navigating separate mental health and primary care systems, ultimately fostering adherence to treatment plans and continuity of care.

As the mental health crisis among children intensifies—exacerbated by factors ranging from pandemic-related disruptions to socioeconomic inequities—the urgency to implement scalable, evidence-based solutions has never been greater. TEAM UP’s demonstrated success in improving psychosocial outcomes positions it as a promising blueprint for national expansion. Currently, the TEAM UP Center is actively broadening its scope by onboarding a new cohort of pediatric practices across Massachusetts, collectively poised to serve an additional 40,000 children.

This expansion is not confined to Massachusetts. Collaborative partnerships in metropolitan hubs including New York City and Atlanta, Georgia are underway, aiming to scale the TEAM UP integrative model across diverse healthcare systems nationally. Such a strategic rollout underscores the model’s adaptability and potential to transform pediatric behavioral health care on a broad scale, addressing longstanding disparities in mental health service delivery.

The TEAM UP initiative’s genesis dates back to 2015 and has steadily built momentum through sustained support and capacity-building efforts. Over 15 practices have implemented the model, with more than 650 health professionals trained to deliver integrated behavioral health services, underscoring the program’s commitment to workforce development as a pillar for sustainable impact. Funding from the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation and The Klarman Family Foundation has been instrumental in facilitating these advances, demonstrating the vital role of philanthropic investment in mental health innovation.

Boston Medical Center Health System, the institutional home of the TEAM UP Center, embodies a progressive academic healthcare system dedicated to merging clinical excellence with health equity and operational innovation. With an extensive network of hospitals, community clinics, and health plans serving New England and beyond, BMC’s integrated infrastructure provides a fertile ground for pioneering models like TEAM UP that catalyze systemic improvements in pediatric health care.

In sum, the recent scientific evidence from the TEAM UP Center offers compelling validation for integrated pediatric behavioral health services as a mechanism to alleviate the psychosocial symptoms that increasingly afflict young populations. By making behavioral health care an intrinsic component of pediatric primary care, the TEAM UP Model™ charts a viable path toward mitigating the child mental health crisis and improving developmental outcomes on a population level. As the model scales regionally and nationally, it holds the promise to reshape how pediatric healthcare systems address mental health, merging scientific rigor with compassionate, community-responsive care.

News Publication Date: 16-Sep-2025

Web References:
https://jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.32020

References:
Kim, J., Sheldrick, R.C., et al. (2025). Integrated Behavioral Health Services and Psychosocial Symptoms in Children. JAMA Network Open. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.32020