Population health refers to improving the health of the entire population through the use of policy and system changes (American Psychological Association, 2022). The population health approach aims to address social, environmental, cultural, and economic factors that influence health outcomes. The American Psychological Association affirms that “an individual’s health cannot be considered in isolation from the relationships, communities, and societies to which the individuals belong” (p. 1)....

In Central California, an underserved and high-need area, there is a shortage of mental health providers. In our rural communities, many residents are Medi-Cal patients and seek services in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics (RHCs). FQHCs and RHCs are known to experience “open vacancies that are unable to be filled for years, prolonged length of onboarding licensed providers, and being limited to a small list of billable licensed providers” (California...

Many evidence-based behavioral and cognitive interventions are used in primary care to treat mental health issues. Interventions include mindfulness exercises, cognitive disputation, relaxation techniques, and motivational interviewing (MI) strategies (Hunter et al., 2024). Given the brevity of appointments (one to four 30-minute sessions) with the behavioral health consultant (BHC), the patient’s time with the BHC should be viewed as a coaching appointment. Hunter et al. (2024) explain...