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CGI Announces New Book: Integrated Behavioral Health: Applying the Biodyne Mindset in Healthcare

By October 7, 2024July 30th, 2025No Comments6 min read

Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies Announces New Book: Integrated Behavioral Health: Applying the Biodyne Mindset in Healthcare

Available Worldwide January 2026

October 7, 2024

Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies (CGI) is proud to announce the upcoming release of the groundbreaking new book, Integrated Behavioral Health: Applying the Biodyne Mindset in Healthcare, set for publication in January 2026. This new book builds on the foundation laid by Dr. Nicholas A. Cummings and Dr. Janet Cummings, renowned psychologists and co-founders of both the Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) degree program and CGI, who previously introduced the influential Biodyne Model in their seminal work Refocused Psychotherapy as the First Line Intervention in Behavioral Health.

In the decade since its original release of Refocused Psychotherapy as the First Line Intervention in Behavioral Health, the healthcare landscape has transformed dramatically, particularly in the field of integrated care. Recognizing this evolution, CGI’s students and faculty advocated for a modernized edition of the text to address pressing issues such as shifting population demographics, patient-centered care practices, the growing complexity of chronic illness, and the rising costs of healthcare delivery. Integrated Behavioral Health: Applying the Biodyne Mindset in Healthcare addresses these new pressing issues, ensuring future generations of integrated care professionals are effectively equipped with evidence-based strategies to meet the demands of today’s changing healthcare environment.

Dr. Janet Cummings shares insight into the significance of the new edition:

“The Biodyne Model has never been stagnant. It has always been, and hopefully always will be, a work in progress. Because the model is based on solid research, it must evolve with newer research. The original Biodyne Model was a “carve out” model, where mental/behavioral healthcare was separated from physical healthcare. The current model is an integrated care model, where mental/behavioral healthcare is fully integrated into physical healthcare. As we learn more about such things as mental health consequences of pandemics, systemic racism, and other current social factors, we must continue to update the Biodyne Model accordingly. The need to remain current has driven this updated book.”

Integrated Behavioral Health: Applying the Biodyne Mindset in Healthcare advances the Biodyne Model to reflect the post-pandemic realities of healthcare, health disparities, and emerging trends in patient vulnerability and population health. It also addresses the challenges faced by patients and providers navigating the failings of healthcare systems worldwide. Structured across four sections, the book delivers in-depth analysis and practical solutions.

  • Section I provides foundational practices and concepts, including reimbursement and payment models.
  • Section II dives into the structural pillars of integrated care, including fresh content on interprofessional ethics, health equity and inclusion, quality measures, and the role of technology and innovation.
  • Section III modernizes the Biodyne Model for the current generation of population-based interventions, highlighting critical patient demographics and age groups.
  • Section IV concludes with a forward-looking exploration of integrated care, offering reflections and models for the future of integrated care delivery.

Integrated Behavioral Health: Applying the Biodyne Mindset in Healthcare, published by Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group, will be available for purchase at retailers worldwide in January 2026. A must-read for the new generation of interdisciplinary healthcare professionals, leaders, educators, and executives, this book offers a comprehensive roadmap for meeting the needs of whole-person and population-based care, while positioning the patient back at the center of healthcare delivery.

Dr. Cara English, DBH, MA, LAC, CEO and CAO of CGI, discusses the inspiration behind Integrated Behavioral Health: Applying the Biodyne Mindset in Healthcare, the key focus areas of the book, and its potential impact on the field of integrated behavioral healthcare.

The CGI community of students, faculty and alumni are sharing their voices and expertise as author contributors to the book, with Dr. Cara English, DBH, MA, LAC, PMH-C; Dr. U. Grant Baldwin Jr., DBH; and Dr. Ellen Fink-Samnick, DBH, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, CCM, CCTP, CRP, FCM as the editors.

About the contributors:

Chapter leads:

  • Dr. Sonya Boone, DBH, MHSA, MSW, LCSW
  • Dr. Gayle Cordes, DBH, MBA, MC
  • Dr. Janet Cummings, Psy.D.
  • Dr. Liliane De Aguiar-Rocha, DBH, BCBA
  • Dr. Cara English, DBH, MA, LAC
  • Dr. Ellen Fink-Samnick, DBH, MSW, LCSW, ACSW, CCM, CCTP, CRP, FCM
  • Dr. U. Grant Baldwin Jr., DBH
  • Dr. Ronke Komolafe, DBH, MBA
  • Dr. Robyn Napier, DBH, LCSW, MSSW

Authors include:

  • Jilian Aesir, M.Ed.
  • Dr. Amanda Barnard, DBH, LCSW
  • Brandy Biglow, LMHC, NCC, QS, CCTP
  • Cory Cannady, BCBA
  • Dr. William Chum, DBH, LMHC
  • Dr. Allison Earl, DBH, MA, LAC
  • Michelle Francis, LCSW
  • Dr. Rachel Grimes, DBH
  • Dr. Napoleon Harrington, DBH, LPC
  • Jeremy Henderson-Teelucksingh, MA, MHR, LPC/MHSP, NCC, CCMHC, CCTPII
  • Dr. Heather Jelonek, DBH, LAC
  • Dr. Melissa Johnson, DBH, MC, LPC
  • Jose Mathew, LCSW, LAC, ACS
  • Dr. Kristin McQueeny, DBH, MS, MEd, NCC, LPC
  • Dr. Kasia Motylewicz, DBH, BCBA
  • Dr. Patrycja Motylewicz, DBH, BCBA
  • Dr. Pauline Tolentino Pablo, DBH, BCBA
  • Pooja Panesar, BSc, MEd, BCBA, QBA
  • Dr. Valeria Parejo, DBH, BCBA, QBA
  • Dr. Billie Ratliff, DBH, LCSW, MSW
  • Kenneth Roberts, MPS, LPC, LADC
  • Dr. Jennifer Rolfes, DBH, MS, MBA
  • Dr. Juan Sanchez, DBH
  • Dr. Sara Schuch, DBH
  • Dr. Diane Scott, DBH, LCSW

About Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies (CGI)

Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies is a nonprofit, DEAC-accredited, online post-graduate institution of higher learning offering post-graduate education and training in the field of integrated behavioral healthcare. CGI is focused on meeting the healthcare industry’s need for a highly-skilled workforce to support an integrated approach to addressing patients’ needs. To learn more about CGI, visit, https://cgi.edu/.

Contact Information:

Press contact: Melissa McGurgan, Sr. Director of Marketing at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies
Email: melissa@cgi.edu
Website: https://cgi.edu/

Testimonials

“As a member of the AAPI community, I’m very familiar with the barriers to mental health services and the need to break through the glass wall of cultural stigma that prevents many from receiving potentially life–saving treatment. I was the only Asian American person in my master’s cohort, the only Asian American person in many of my clinical work settings, the only Asian American person to walk into many of the professional settings that I pushed myself to show up to. In my current practice, I’m constantly reminded by my patients of how difficult it is to find an Asian American mental health provider, though this reminder constantly informs me that more needs to be done for my community. Day after day, I read stories of Asian American people who die by suicide as a consequence of our culture’s avoidance of mental health topics. As a DBH, my biggest goal is to use my expertise in whole–person care to amplify the conversation around mental health and help my community understand that mental healthcare is not a privilege that we are not entitled to, it is a crucial part of our healthcare that will manifest differently in us than what many Western psychology or psychiatry textbooks will describe, and that our unique experience of mental health issues are valid, important, and is time to be part of the larger conversation.”

Willam Chum, LMHCDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - September 16, 2022

“The Doctor in Behavioral Health (DBH) program has changed my understanding of the subject and career path. Before this academic journey, my knowledge of behavioral health was primarily theoretical, including essential ideas and methods. However, the DBH curriculum combined intense academic research with practical application, helping me understand behavioral health from multiple angles. Recognizing mental health as part of total health changed my perspective. The biopsychosocial model, which showed how biological, psychological, and social variables affect mental health, was stressed in the DBH curriculum. This comprehensive approach made me realize how complex human behavior is and how important it is to address mental health issues. Effective interventions must target the individual’s surroundings, relationships, and life experiences, not just symptoms. The curriculum also gave me enhanced evidence-based practice training to execute successful solutions. Studies methods and data analysis classes improved my critical thinking and allowed me to evaluate and apply behavioral health studies. This gave me the confidence to contribute to the field’s knowledge base through practice and research.”

Dr. Rhea Hill, DBH, LPCDBH Alumna, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - February 17, 2025

“This program will change how you present to the world, not just as a professional but as an individual. Understand this is work but the work is worth it and the journey is undeniably transformative. If you are seeking a doctorate for the title, this is not the program for you. If you are seeking a doctorate to interrupt and disrupt the course of healthcare, then this is the program for you. You won’t find a more supportive program with professors who are dedicated to your success and your education. This program is not about the regurgitation of information. It is about the appropriate applied application of knowledge and information to push forward and become an advocate for equitable and quality care for all.”

Brandy K. Biglow LMHC, CCTP, QSDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - February 5, 2024

“The Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) program has definitely transformed my understanding of behavioral health. Understanding the links between physical and mental health has taught how to make better treatment decisions. The DBH program has also given me insights that otherwise would not be possible and allows me to view individuals through a lens that I was previously ignorant of. This program has helped me grow into a more confident individual, provider, and parent.”

Cory H. Cannady, BCBA, LBADBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - March 13, 2024

“The DBH program has reinforced my vision of viewing behavioral health (BH) as an integrated component of the healthcare system rather than a siloed service. As a practitioner in the focused BH realm of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, I observe on a regular basis how identifying and serving SUD patients is often missed, ignored and stigmatized in primary healthcare, despite the fact that early intervention at these check-points often has the potential to intervene earlier and lessen the negative SUD outcomes frequently seen by the time a patient reaches specialty SUD services. Reinforcement received in my DBH program has motivated me to promote integration as a leader in my workplace and is a primary factor in considering the long-term trajectory of my individual career path.”

Kenneth L. Roberts, MPS, LPCC, LADCDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - November 5, 2024

“Graduating from the DBH program has influenced and enhanced my approach to addressing behavioral health challenges and making a difference in the field by preparing me to become a serious business owner. Through the DBH program, I understand now that becoming a business owner not only assists me in reaping the financial benefits of working for myself, but the program also offers me a sense of freedom to make a difference in an individual’s life.”

Dr. Rebecca K. Wright, DBH, LBA, BCBA, QBADBH Alumna, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - December 18, 2024

“I have always wanted to pursue a higher degree but never found a program that met my needs. When I investigated the DBH program, I can honestly say I was excited. It was a program that would expand my knowledge in behavioral health but also how it relates to physical health. The philosophy of treating the whole person was exactly what I was looking for.”

Elizabeth Nekoloff, M.Ed., LPCC-S, NCCDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - January 16, 2025

“Prior to obtaining my DBH, I practiced behavioral health within the boundaries of behavior analysis. The DBH degree has given me the ability to broaden my scope of competence allowing me to provide a higher quality of care to my clients through a person-centered approach, while still staying within my scope of practice. I was in the beginning stages of opening my business when I enrolled in the DBH program which set my trajectory towards being a stronger leader. The program equipped me with essential healthcare leadership and entrepreneurial skills, allowing me to ensure high-quality services for my clients and foster a supportive work environment for our staff. It has also given me the confidence to expand my business and pursue other healthcare ventures, reaching a broader range of patients in need.”

Dr. Pauline Tolentino Pablo, DBH, BCBA, IBADBH Alumna, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - January 21, 2025

“Although I have worked with many patients who have mental health diagnoses, or behaviors which make managing their medical diagnoses and day to day life difficult, the DBH program at CGI is broadening that knowledge and providing a deeper understanding of behavioral health and how best to help these individuals manage their health and improve their quality of life. This will allow me to provide and advocate for more meaningful and seamless integrated care, providing new tools for my intervention toolbox, and the confidence and skills to collaborate within and lead whole person focused interdisciplinary teams. I also anticipate building upon my knowledge as a nurse case manager and long time caregiver, as well as my personal passions and professional vision, learning about processes and operations, to be in position to start up and lead my own company one day, offering the services and care I know every person should have access to.”

Hollie Wilson, MSN, RN, CCMDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - February 11, 2025

“The DBH program will open opportunities for me to contribute to healthcare system innovation, particularly through trauma-informed care and integrated behavioral health settings. I will be better positioned to advocate for and implement holistic care models that improve health outcomes for underserved populations. Ultimately, this program will help me transition into higher-level roles, such as a director or consultant in behavioral health, where I can influence broader system changes and contribute to the future of healthcare delivery.”

DeKyn Rashad Peters, MPH-CHES,BSW/BA,APCDBH Candidate, Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies - March 4, 2025

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