Missing link: a qualitative analysis of community-based organisations’ contributions to partnered collaborative care to treat late-life depression

Abstract

Objective Extending collaborative care, a model integrating mental health services into primary care, to include community-based organisations (CBOs) may improve older patient health outcomes by increasing access to care and addressing patients’ social needs; however, little is known about how CBOs contribute to such partnered depression care. We explored how six primary care clinic and CBO partnerships came together to provide late-life depression care through the Care Partners funded in 2014.Design 43 key informant interviews and 15 focus groups were conducted with care managers, administrators and primary care providers partnering to provide late-life depression care. Data were coded and analysed iteratively using qualitative thematic analysis.Setting Six primary care clinic–CBO sites across California.Participants Care managers, administrators and primary care providers participated in this study.Results Three unique contributions of CBOs to depression care in these clinic–CBO partnerships were identified: (1) CBOs added new services that focus on social needs and enhanced depression care; (2) CBOs strengthened core aspects of collaborative care for depression; (3) CBOs provided new avenues for building connections and trust with underserved patients.Conclusions CBOs, when partnered with clinics, enhanced both medical and social aspects of depression treatment for older adults. CBOs are well positioned to assist primary care clinics in treating the complex health needs of older adults by providing new and strengthening existing aspects of partnered depression care while building patient trust among culturally diverse populations.