Dr. Indira Paharia, CEO & Co-founder of VIBEcare and a member of the Mental & Behavioral Health Moonshot Community, sat down with Unity Stoakes to discuss the integration of behavioral health services into primary care to improve patient access and outcomes. VIBEcare provides virtual, evidence-based behavioral health coaching alongside primary care, offering a scalable solution to the mental health provider shortage. Dr. Paharia reflects on her career journey from academia to the corporate world and shares her insights on the challenges and opportunities in behavioral health, emphasizing the importance of patient-centered care and overcoming barriers to effective mental health treatment.

🧠 Bridging Behavioral Health and Primary Care: VIBEcare integrates mental health services into primary care settings virtually, addressing the rising demand for mental health care and improving accessibility for patients.

💡 Doctorpreneurship: Dr. Paharia, a clinical psychologist with a background in healthcare finance, combines her expertise to drive innovation in behavioral health through VIBEcare.

🌐 Virtual Care and Scalability: The platform uses a proprietary technology platform to offer standardized, evidence-based care that is fully virtual, enhancing scalability and reaching underserved populations.

📊 Paying for Behavioral Health: VIBEcare benefits from reimbursable billing codes for behavioral health services, opening up more funding opportunities and reducing financial barriers.

🏥 Focus on Primary Care: Over 70% of behavioral health is delivered in primary care, and VIBEcare aims to improve this delivery with minimal disruption to primary care workflows.

🤝 Optimism for Mental Health Solutions: Despite the challenges, Dr. Paharia remains optimistic about the future, seeing increasing support for behavioral health funding and recognition of its importance in managing chronic health conditions.