3 minute read In the ongoing gun debate, one side sees guns as tools for self-defense, while the other sees them as instruments of harm. Both perspectives hold truths, but as gun-related incidents continue to rise, this discussion has reached a fevered pitch. Increasingly, mental illness is proposed as the root cause of gun violence […]
4 minute read In our first blog post on March 3rd, 2023, we reported on efforts by the Primary Care Behavioral Health Special Interest Group (PCBH SIG) to advance the understanding of screening and outcome measurement in demonstrating the value of the integrated model of service delivery. Since that time a Measurement-Based Care (MBC) workgroup […]
4 minute read When it comes to health insurance, we often forget about the importance of mental health coverage. But the reality is that accessing mental health services can be a daunting task. Limited coverage and difficulty reaching behavioral health care services can leave people feeling helpless and trapped in a cycle of poor mental […]
5 minute read Just when you think things are going well for you and your loved one, your partner enters a manic phase, and the rug is pulled out from underneath both of you; your worlds are upside down. An Unpredictable World As someone living with a significant other with bipolar, not only is it […]
5 minute read On July 13, 2023, Health Federation of Philadelphia (HFP) announced a new investment in integrated care by the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services (DBHIDS), which will allow HFP to hire a Director of Behavioral Health Integration position. The new Director will be responsible for leading all training and […]
4 minute read Whole person care means that people have access to both physical and behavioral healthcare. Unfortunately, there is no parity for such treatments by payers here in the United States. Payers intentionally limit their coverage of behavioral healthcare. But now the Biden administration wants to see that change. Yesterday, the Biden administration proposed […]
Behavioral health services have become increasingly vital in healthcare, reflecting the growing demand for mental health care providers. To meet this need, significant policy changes and updates have been introduced to improve access to behavioral health services. In this blog post, we’ll explore the new proposed physician fee schedule for 2024 and its potential impact […]
Original post available here. The placebo effect, defined as symptom improvement following delivery of an inert substance, is often cast in a negative light, as a confounder during research and indication of malingering among certain patients. However, studies indicate just the opposite: placebo can improve symptoms of pain and discomfort, due to specific neurochemical responses […]
3 minute read Last August I wrote about the long wait times for individuals in need of mental health services. Soon after that post, the American Psychological Association published survey results in November 2022 showing that 60% of psychologists cannot accept new patients, while 72% have longer wait lists than before the pandemic. A 2023 […]
Riddle me this: I am a system that is active and essential in healthcare, but a complete mystery to most healthcare professionals. Answer: a patient attribution system! Hopefully you did not peek at the title of my post. Did you get the right answer? Don’t worry if you did not guess a patient attribution system. […]
Original post available here. Resilience is described as the ability to recover and grow in the face of stressors and changing demands (Deuster & Silverman, 2013). A lot of research about resilience has come from the US military, triggered a decade back by troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with severe emotional trauma. There is […]
4 minute read Every week I receive solicitations in my physical mailbox for clinical trainings on a variety of topics like trauma-informed care, grief counseling, mindfulness, and more. They never stop coming! I wonder who sent these companies my address. These trainings are usually live or recorded webinars with handouts, sometimes with a well-known expert […]
4 minute read Growing up in poverty in the slums of Kumasi, Ghana, 18-year-old Abina longed for a better life. Her pastor talked to her about job opportunities in other countries, and with his help, Abina signed up with an organization that promised great pay and benefits. Staff helped her get a passport and a […]
Three years ago the Collaborative Family Healthcare Association (CFHA) set out to report on the spread of integrated care across the United States primary care system. Our initial report on findings in 2020 elicited interesting findings on the breadth and types of care being provided. Here we provided updated data which appears to demonstrate greater […]
3 minute read In spring 2022, CFHA CEO Neftali Serrano approached the Primary Care Behavioral Health Special Interest Group (PCBH SIG) to begin the work of catalyzing standardized outcomes for measuring success in a PCBH environment. This invitation was warmly received as the role of the PCBH SIG is to grow interest and enthusiasm, provide […]
Neftali Serrano, CEO of CFHA, first approached me in late 2021 to design and distribute a salary survey to the integrated care workforce. I looked at my overloaded plate and thought, “This is too good to pass up”. So, I made room on the plate. As an educator, I’ve been involved in workforce projects for […]
Original post available here Our current medical system derives largely from the biomedical model, which focuses on physical causes for disease. The more recent bio-psychosocial model posits that other factors, including your emotional state, support system (friends and family), and the environment also play a role, both in the development of disease and its prognosis. […]
US federal government agencies are currently accepting applications for large grant awards to address behavioral health patient needs across the country. Your healthcare organization may be a good candidate for one of these awards! Even if you are not funded, the exercise of grant writing will help you imagine the possibilities of improving your organization […]
