Elizabeth “Beth” Lucht has joined the Rock River Community Clinic (RRCC) as a behavioral health director and integrated care specialist, according to information released by the organization.
In her new role, Lucht will implement and oversee the addition of integrated behavioral health services at all RRCC clinics, including those in Whitewater, Fort Atkinson, Jefferson and Watertown.
She will be responsible for helping build and support patient care teams of providers, therapists, social workers, and care navigators at all RRCC medical and dental clinics. Her overall duties will include, but are not limited to, developing clinical policies and procedures, supporting clinical operations of behavioral health integration, recruiting and training physicians to engage in behavioral health services, working with the Quality Assurance Committee to achieve program goals and objectives, establishing behavioral health services priorities, and creating long-range development strategies, the release stated.
According to the release, Lucht is a certified physician assistant and licensed clinical social worker. She holds master’s degrees in social work and physician assistant studies, both from University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her experience spans three decades over which she has held such positions as physician assistant, psychiatrist physician assistant, clinical specialist, psychotherapist and adjunct faculty member within the UW-Madison Physician Assistant Program.
“During my time as a PA, I’ve worked in specialty mental healthcare, primary care and in leadership positions. This has given me a lot of insight into the primary care world, and strengthened my belief that patients do best when we can meet as many healthcare needs as possible at the primary care level. Offering patients integrated behavioral health services removes barriers, allows a team approach that can be tailored to their needs and desires, and ensures more seamless communication between primary care and behavioral health clinicians,” Lucht was quoted as saying in the release.
“We are delighted to have Beth join our RRCC team and lead our efforts towards providing integrated behavioral healthcare to our patients. Behavioral health is a vital component to the overall health of our patients, and it’s something we know our communities are lacking. Having someone with Beth’s background, experience and passion for this type of care will help ensure that our transition into this crucial service is as effective as possible for all those we serve,” Olivia Nichols, CEO/executive director of RRCC, was quoted as saying in the release.
Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike
According to the release, in December of 2022, RRCC was designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike (FQHC-LAL).
“A primary goals of becoming an FQHC-LAL was to expand access to needed behavioral health services in the community. Integrated Behavioral Health services are a cornerstone of many FQHC’s in the state of Wisconsin, and have a track record of strong success in supporting access to services,” the release noted.
According to Nichols, a goal of RRCC has been to focus on integrating additional care services and addressing behavioral health needs.
“Our designation as an FQHC-LAL puts us in a stronger position to pursue and sustain that work longterm,” she said.
Lucht joined RRCC in February and will begin seeing patients through their primary care visits in April, the release stated.
Elizabeth “Beth” Lucht
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