SMI Innovations Project: Southwest Pennsylvania Case Study. The Connected Care Pilot Program.

Launched in 2009, the Serious Mental Illness (SMI) Innovations project was a collaboration between physical and behavioral health managed care organizations and county behavioral health offices in Southeast and Southwest Pennsylvania to integrate physical and behavioral health care services for adult Medicaid beneficiaries with SMI and co-occurring physical health conditions. This case study of the Connected Care pilot program in Southwest Pennsylvania found that mental health hospitalizations and readmissions improved, potentially because of targeted consumer outreach and education.