Integrated Health Scholarship Program

A worldwide trend in health care reform is changing the way doctors and other healthcare providers care for patients seeking treatment for illnesses. Integrated health care is the combining of physical, mental, and behavioral health care services to provide the most effective approach for treating people with multiple healthcare needs.

It’s a fast-growing field, and Katharina Diessel (MSW ’14) is excited to be part of such a broad transformation.

“I’ve always believed in the mind-body connection,” says Diessel. “Integrated healthcare is a holistic approach that looks at the whole person in order to gain a deeper understanding of their individual experience. It’s a humane approach that brings a collaborative spirit to the healthcare setting.” Katharina is one of 12 students who comprise the inaugural cohort of Integrated Health scholars. Graduates of this new program will be prepared for employment in healthcare settings of all types, serving diverse populations who face significant physical, emotional, and behavioral health problems.

In the integrated health care model, patients seeking treatment for a physical health issue would also be screened for mental and behavioral health issues, such as depression and substance abuse. A collaborative, interdisciplinary team of primary care physicians, specialists, therapists, psychiatrists, nurses, and others manage a comprehensive treatment plan that addresses the challenges caring for patients with multiple healthcare needs. Close communication between members of the team, as well as with the patient and their family members, is what makes the integrated health care model so unique. 

Integrated healthcare is an emerging field and this program will place me in a very unique and favorable position when I graduate.

“In traditional healthcare settings, people are often treated as silos, meaning they’re treated for a specific disease without consideration or diagnosis of other factors that may be contributing,” says Katharina. “Integrated health care brings all of the pieces together, and social workers play an important role in that process. It’s an exciting time in the field. Doctors are more collaborative with social workers now, and it’s rewarding to see how both fields value one another.” 

Diessel is one of 12 students who comprise the inaugural cohort of the U-M School of Social Work’s Integrated Health Scholarship Program. Graduates of this new program will be prepared for employment in healthcare settings of all types, serving diverse populations who face significant physical, emotional, and behavioral health problems.

“While I was applying to U of M and looking at different scholarship opportunities, the Integrated Health Scholarship Program really stood out,” says Diessel.