Mental Health Improvement
Advance-NewsFeb 26, 2017
Sitting in an office at the
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Between 2010 and 2012, behavioral health and mental health disorders in youths was the number one cause of entry into the
Mental disorders are one of the leading causes of disability in
Through the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment program, which began in 2015, the state is in the process of distributing
The north country provider system is the
These hospitals and partnered community programs are expected to receive more than
All funding that flows through the Samaritan PPS is directed by the North Country Initiative in partnership with the
Deficient mental and behavioral health services lead the approval of the North Country Initiative's application for funding. Benchmarks to be met include the integration of behavioral care services into the primary care setting, growing the region's workforce of mental health professionals, and community outreach.
At the time of the application, FDRHPO identified mental health and substance abuse problems as one of the three most pressing healthcare needs in Jefferson,
"We've always had the idea and the heart. We knew that this made sense, but to actually have the resources to make it happen is another thing entirely," FDRHPO Executive Director
The North Country's milestones, according to DSRIP, have been met on time for the last two years, and in some cases ahead of schedule, earning the provider system stellar reviews at its mid-point assessment and state review in early February.
"Behavioral health has been one of the earliest commitments of our organization, years before DSRIP,"
Changes to healthcare, however, come slow. Patients may not yet feel progress made at the high levels of government and administration trickling down.
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Six years ago she got involved with the
"I've always loved to help others but I could never help myself,"
The more she speaks, the more her posture settles from anxiety into energy, into purpose.
"Helping others here has taught me to help myself."
"When I get sick, doctors always put me on disability. I hate not working, being idle, being broke,"
The last time she was placed on disability, she took herself off by getting a job at Subway, where she is now a supervisor.
"I've been on the waiting list for pretty much a year now, trying to get into counseling,"
As the executive Director of the
"With DSRIP we've brought more providers into the area, which is half the battle, and there are more different options for mental health care. In that sense it's definitely improving,"
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Phil and
Two years ago,
"We spent three months making call after call once we realized we needed to get
The parents recalled transfers, unanswered phones, and unreturned calls and voicemails plagued their efforts seeking treatment for their son.
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One of the North Country Initiative's top priorities is a massive plan to fully integrate mental health and primary care services.
On
The new clinic offers individual and group therapy, psycho education, psychiatric diagnostic assessment, psychiatric medication management, genetic testing, integration with primary care, and coping skills training. It now provides 24/7 access to mental health specialists, emergency care, inpatient care, electroconvulsive therapy, and on-site ancillary medical services.
"With the addition of our outpatient center, mental health needs are being better met but there is still a need for more," Claxton-Hepburn Executive Director of Community Relations and Planning
In
In
"Due to state and federal restrictions under our current operating license, reimbursement for services to our adult clients is not where it should be." River Community Wellness Program Director
Educating primary care providers in behavioral health screenings and connecting them with tools to treat and refer is another priority of FDRHPO.
"The bottom line is that some people don't pursue behavioral health care because of stigma. So going to primary care instead of sitting in a psychiatrist's office makes it easier," said
Providers are also pursuing expanded telemedicine capabilities as a way to connect patients to treatment as a way to circumvent the regional shortage of mental health professionals.
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Too few health providers is a problem that shadows all of healthcare in the north country.
Since 2015, FDRHPO has allocated approximately
The agency is also investing long-term in the future by recruiting young.
In her time at the MHA,
For one thing, people are very spread out and clinics are much less so. Clients, like those at the MHA who often who can't afford a car or gas money, aren't likely to be able to afford a taxi to and from weekly appointments, at times over long, rural distances.
The few transportation services in
"It doesn't matter is the services are there if people can't access them, if patients miss their appointments and get discharged,"
Another step in breaking down the barriers to care is destigmatization of mental illness and creation of a well-linked provider community with easily-accessible resources.
"In a small community, maybe we don't have as many resources but I find that the resources that are here work better together. We're trying to net those providers together, and I think that's the ultimate goal of DSRIP. I think also in this region, partners have always worked very well together."
"I see that they're trying, I do see
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Now it has been over a year since
"If we hadn't (gotten help) ... someone would have had to go,"
Phil remembers asking one of the mental health providers they eventually contacted what happens to a person if they can't get treatment, if they're alone or a single parent with no one to help them.
"If people don't have help, where do they end up? In emergency rooms and jails. When we found that out, that was troubling. Disheartening," Phil said. "How do we work together as a community to get everybody the help that they need?"