Bridging the Gap: Improving Collaboration Between Medical and Behavioral Health Providers
Friday, June 27th, Noon – 1:00 PM Central
Live via Zoom
FREE Attendance for NPA Members!
($10 for CE)
This one-hour panel brings together a primary care physician and two psychologists to discuss practical strategies for improving collaboration in healthcare settings. Panelists will explore barriers to integration, clarify roles across disciplines, and share actionable solutions to enhance patient care and outcomes.
Rick McNeese, Ph.D.
Dr. Rick R. McNeese, PhD, LP, is a licensed psychologist with over four decades of experience in mental health and forensic psychology. Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, Dr. McNeese holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Psychology from Texas Christian University and a B.S. in Biopsychology from Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Dr. McNeese is semi-retired as a Psychologist at Pine Lake Behavioral Health, LLC,. He has been a Professor of Psychology at Sam Houston State University, Faculty on the Lincoln Family Practice Residency, Clinical Director at First Step Recovery Center and Wellness, and Assistant Administrator of Behavioral Health at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. His clinical interests include forensic psychology, relationship counseling, and psychological assessments. He’s had a lifelong passion for interdisciplinary work and integrated health care.
He is a member of professional organizations such as the American Psychological Association and the Nebraska Psychological Association. Dr. McNeese has also taught at universities and supervised and mentored practicum and intern students at all levels.
Dr. McNeese has received several honors, including the Integrated Rural Healthcare Award from the Nebraska Rural Health Association and the Tabitha Professional Leadership Award.He is also an Admiral in the State of Nebraska Navy. He is currently a mentor in NPA’s Leadership Academy.
Kim Vacek, Ph.D.
Kim Vacek received her B.S. from UNO, and both her M.A. and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University Chicago. She has worked in health psychology for Nebraska Medicine since 2011, initially working for the Psychology Department conducting pre-surgical assessments and therapy for the Bariatric Center and kidney transplant team, as well as inpatient consultations and general evidence-based outpatient therapy. She also served as the liaison to the Trauma Team at that time, and transferred to the Chronic Pain Management Program at Nebraska Medicine in 2013. She currently serves as a consultant to primary care providers and provides brief evidence-based interventions to patients for the Patient Centered Medical Home at Nebraka Medicine. She is also passionate about supervision with providers in training, and for the past several years has been able to do so through the pre-doctoral psychology internship, marriage and family therapy internships, postdoctoral psychology/neuropsychology fellowships, family medicine residency, and pain medicine fellowship.
Robert Wergin, M.D.
Dr. Robert L. Wergin attended the University of Nebraska Kearney graduating with a double major in Biology and Chemistry, Summa Cum Laude. He attended medical school at UNMC, and did his residency in Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Medical Center as part of their St. Mary’s Hospital Program in Grand Junction, Colorado. He was in private practice there from 1982 – 1989, and continued to enjoy teaching and mentoring medical students, and served as president of the Western Slope area of the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians. He also served as associate director of the family medicine residency, focusing on emergency medicine and obstetrics.
In 1989, Dr. Wergin joined a family practice group in York, and in 1991 transitioned to full-time in the emergency room in Beatrice, Nebraska. He continued in this capacity until joining the faculty of the Lincoln Family Medicine Residency Program in 1992. He eventually became assistant director of the program, which was affiliated with UNMC as a community Family Medicine program. In 1996 he returned to private practice as a family medicine physician in Seward, where three of his former residents joined the practice. He continued to mentor residents and students on their rotations.
Dr. Wergin has received many awards and served as president of the Nebraska Academy of Family Physicians. He was honored to be selected as Family Physician of the Year in 2002. He was elected president of the National Academy of Family Physicians in 2015.
He continued to focus on the education and training of students and residents in his service as president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and then served on the American Board of Family Medicine from 2018-2024. In that capacity, he focused on setting the standards for board certification in family medicine and stimulating interest in family medicine.
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify barriers that prevent effective collaboration between medical and behavioral health providers.
2. Describe psychologists' and primary care physicians' unique and complementary roles in whole-person care.
3. Recognize the clinical and systemic consequences of fragmented care on patient outcomes.
4. Apply practical strategies — such as consultation, shared care plans, and integrated documentation — to improve interprofessional collaboration.
Continuing Education
The Nebraska Psychological Association is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Nebraska Psychological Association maintains responsibility for this program and its contents. Participants attending the live presentation can receive1 CE for psychologists as well as master's level clinicians, with full attendance required. No partial credit is awarded; late arrival or early departure will preclude awarding of CE credits for psychologists attending the live webinar. Those arriving more than 10 minutes after the scheduled start time or leaving before the webinar is completed will not receive CE credits.
This program meets the criteria of an approved continuing education program for mental health practice.
NPA endorses The Trust and its insurance programs. The Trust is a leading provider of professional liability malpractice, financial security, and innovative risk management programs — meeting the insurance needs of psychologists and related individuals nationwide for more than 55 years.
Cancellations: Written notification is required on or before June 23, 2025, for complete refund of registration fee.