Closing the Gap: Solving the Behavioral Health Crisis in Cancer Care

The Problem: Demand for Behavioral Health in Oncology Far Exceeds Capacity

A few years ago, I experienced the problem firsthand. A close family member, in the midst of cancer treatment, faced a months-long waitlist at a psycho-oncology clinic. Community providers with relevant expertise were scarce or not accepting new patients. When I spoke with leaders in the field, they confirmed that this was widespread: a national capacity crisis in behavioral health care for cancer patients.

This challenge goes beyond the availability of specialists. Cancer treatment is time-intensive, requiring frequent visits for chemotherapy, radiation, and imaging. For patients, the burden of adding another in-person appointment—especially with an unknown wait time and uncertain insurance coverage—is overwhelming.

A Fragmented System in Need of a Scalable Solution

While exploring this challenge, I connected with others who would become the founding team of Protocol Behavioral Health. We quickly aligned around a shared goal: to remove the most common barriers to behavioral health in oncology—limited capacity, fragmented care, and lack of insurance-friendly options.

Introducing Protocol Behavioral Health’s Collaborative Care Model

Our approach is designed to meet patients where they are—emotionally, logistically, and financially. We deliver high-quality mental health support for cancer patients using the collaborative care model, integrated directly into oncology treatment centers.

How We Solve the Biggest Barriers:

• Increasing Capacity: We train and support behavioral health care managers to specialize in psycho-oncology, addressing the supply gap and building a sustainable, expert workforce.
  
• Improving Access: By partnering with oncology clinics, we embed behavioral health services into the patient care flow. Patients are referred directly by their providers and connected to experts who understand cancer-specific challenges.
  
• Enhancing Affordability: Care is billed through the oncology practice using patients’ existing insurance—eliminating the high out-of-pocket fees typically associated with private behavioral health providers.
  
• Maximizing Convenience: We deliver care via secure telehealth, reducing the need for extra clinic visits and making support available no matter where patients live.

Partnering with Oncology Social Workers for Seamless Support

Our services are designed to complement—not replace—existing oncology social work teams. These professionals are often overwhelmed, trying to meet every need of every patient with limited time and resources.

By partnering with Protocol Behavioral Health, social workers can focus on real-time, in-person needs like coordinating transportation or supporting a patient during their first infusion. Meanwhile, our trained behavioral health providers offer structured, evidence-based care for ongoing mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

Building a Better Future for Mental Health in Cancer Care

The emotional toll of cancer is real—and too often, it goes unaddressed. But with the right model, training, and partnerships, we can scale access to evidence-based mental health treatment for oncology patients across the country.

At Protocol Behavioral Health, we believe no one should have to face cancer alone—not physically, and not emotionally.

Let’s Work Together

If you’re an oncology provider, healthcare system leader, or advocate for comprehensive cancer care, we’d love to connect. Together, we can expand access to compassionate, expert behavioral health care for cancer patients—right where it’s needed most.