Prior to beginning work on this discussion forum, be certain to have read all the required resources for this week.

The collaborative practice of clinicians across disciplines requires a shared language, appreciation of diagnostic and therapeutic paradigms, and recognition of appropriate roles within the health care team.  This collaborative environment is at the heart of a health care system that utilizes the skills and expertise of all its team members in appropriate and extended roles. This model of care delivery is often called integrated care (IC) or collaborative care (CC). Although this model is endorsed by many professional societies and agencies, the CC/IC care delivery model can fail due to multiple factors. 

In your initial post, consider the clinical partnerships that result within the CC/IC delivery model. Integrating concepts developed from different content domains in psychology, address the following questions.

• How might health care teams achieve therapeutic goals for individual clients?
• How does this support health literacy?
• What factors might lead to the failure of the CC/IC delivery model?
• How might lack of acceptance of the value or viability of the CC/IC model by stakeholders, lack of awareness of the clinical competencies of various members of the team, barriers to financial reimbursement for services, and lack of integration of support services within the practice cause a breakdown in efficacy?
• What supportive interventions within the CC/IC model address such issues? 

In addition, consider how successful health care models assume an understanding of each profession’s competencies and responsibilities. For example, primary care providers (PCPs) are sometimes unaware of the abilities and practice scope of psychology professionals.

• Identify methods of targeted intervention and education for PCPs that might alleviate potential issues for the CC/IC model.
• Explain how the APA Ethical Code of Conduct can be used to guide decisions in these complex situations.
• Evaluate and comment on the potential work settings where you might find the CC/IC model. In what ways might this model provide more job satisfaction .

Supporting Your Colleagues Refining your challenge to a “manageable” chunk and building the most effective community of practice require keen awareness that will morph, grow, and evolve as you work toward your goals. Last week for your Application Assignment, you reviewed and may have refined and updated your challenge and your community of practice based on what you learned about its historical context. For this Discussion, you will post your latest version and draw on the wisdom, experience, and support of your colleagues to help you apply additional research to your challenge and community of practice. For this Discussion, you will:

• Act as a member of a community of practice for one of your colleagues by researching to find additional information that may help your colleague with the challenge he/she has chosen and the Ideal Community of Practice he/she is building
• Receive feedback from one of your colleagues that you may choose to integrate in your Capstone Project

By Monday:
Post the latest version of your challenge and community of practice.
By Wednesday:
Read and respond to
one of your colleague’s postings in the following ways:

• Share what you know about your colleague’s challenge, including your experience and advice.
• Research and share at least two resources you have found—people, organizations, and/or governments that are taking on the same challenge and what they are doing about it. Be sure to cite your sources.
• Suggest resources that could be helpful to understanding and responding to your colleague’s challenge. Provide at least two pertinent, quality websites, organizations, and/or journal articles.
• Suggest modifications and/or additions to your colleague’s ideal community of practice.

Return to this Discussion to read the responses to your initial posting. Consider the information and suggestions from the members of your MS in Early Childhood Studies community of practice. Think about what you have learned and/or any insights you have gained as a result of your colleagues’ comments, revise your challenge and Ideal Community of Practice accordingly.