How PCPs Can Get Support with Patient Behavioral Health

The State of Behavioral Health in America 

According to NAMI, 23.4% of U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2024, and 5.6% of them experience a serious mental illness, such as a personality disorder. The most common mental illness was anxiety disorders, at 19.1%, and substance use disorder was close behind, at 18.1%. 34.5% of U.S. adults with a mental illness also have a substance use disorder, marking a particularly high comorbidity rate.  

Mental health also affects physical health – the risk of cardiometabolic disease is doubled for people with mental illnesses, and people with depression have a 40% higher risk of developing cardiac disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.  

PCPs = On the Front Lines of Behavioral Healthcare 

As a PCP, you are the go-to healthcare provider for most U.S. adults. You provide preventative care, resources, and help your patients coordinate their overall health, including helping them with specialist referrals. However, many PCPs end up also being their patients' go-to support for mental health issues. Approximately 30% of primary care patients are being treated for these, and some research suggests it may be as high as 70%. Depression and anxiety are among the most commonly treated conditions in the primary care space, with 66-75% of depression cases being treated by PCPs instead of mental health providers.  

With an increasing shortage of mental health providers, PCPs continue to be one of the first and most accessible sources of support for patients with mental illness.  

How PCPs Can Get Support with Patient Behavioral Health

All this being said, PCPs are not mental health providers. As such, they may need support when working with a patient who has mental health concerns. This is especially true when a case is complex and needs a specialist referral, and waitlists for mental health specialists are three months on average.  

For Virginia PCPs, there's a free support service you can now utilize to help you and your patients – the Adult Psychiatric Access Line (APAL)! Last year, APAL was handling adult substance use cases, but for 2026, we have expanded to support PCPs with all adult behavioral health concerns. This means that PCPs practicing anywhere in Virginia can call APAL when they have an adult patient facing a behavioral health concern.

APAL's services are: 

  • No cost to you or your patients 
  • Available statewide 
  • Same day (response within 30 minutes) 

There are two services on the line – consultation and care navigation – and here's when to use which!  

Clinical Consultation: 

APAL has the following behavioral health providers available to consult with you about your patient's case today at no cost! You can call about behavioral health concerns in a patient 18 or older to speak with them about best practices for managing your patient's care.  

  • Addiction medicine specialists (18+) 
  • Adult psychiatrists 
  • Clinical pharmacists  
  • Licensed mental health professionals
When to Call APAL (The Adult Psychiatric Access Line)

Care Navigation: 

APAL's care navigators will contact your patient and connect them with behavioral health, substance use, and other vital resources in their area. They even follow up with your patient to help them navigate barriers that may arise! Again, there is no cost to you or your patient for this invaluable service. 

PCPs, you don't have to manage your patient's behavioral health alone. APAL is here to help! Call APAL now: https://healthhaven.org/call-apal/.