Archive for the ‘Fall 2019 Issue’ Category

Integrating Pharmacy Services to Improve Clinical Outcomes

In New York State, one in five residents experience symptoms of mental illness each year. Half of those individuals live with mental illness serious enough to affect their ability to get an education, hold down a job and form relationships, according to the state Department of Health. Many are...

Integrating Peers within Behavioral Health Programs

The implementation of peer support professionals throughout the behavioral health field has proven to be a valuable resource for clients, patients, and service providers across the continuum (SAMHSA, Value of Peers, 2017). Whether it be in an outpatient clinic, emergency room, or community setting,...

Integrating Health and Behavioral Health: Consider All the Dimensions

A discussion of integrated care should actually start by redefining the term itself. Integrated care is commonly considered the weaving together of physical and behavioral health, but experience has shown that this definition limits the discussion to two dimensions. What dimension is missing? What...

Integrated Psychiatry for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

Use of psychotropic drugs for individuals with developmental disabilities is common practice. For example, Jobski, Hofer, Hoffman, and Bachmann (2016) documented an overall median use of psychotropic drugs in 45.7% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Wink et al., (2018) documented...

Integrated Health Care for Older Adults: A Model Partnership

When Sonia was discharged from New York-Presbyterian (NYP) hospital last winter her Care Coordinator arranged for home care, meals, nurse visits, transportation, medical equipment and prescriptions. She went home confident that she would be safe and would receive ongoing care at home as she...

Integrated Care: A Model of Service in Behavioral Health

This article is part of a quarterly series giving voice to the perspectives of individuals with lived experiences as they share their opinions on a particular topic. The authors of this column facilitated a focus group of their peers to inform this writing. The authors are provided with services by...

Helping Transition Age Youth and Young Adults Achieve their Goals

As with all young adults, a central focus for Transition Age Youth and Young Adults (TAYYA) ages 16 to 25 with serious mental health challenges is building a life in the community. Doing so requires completing their education and getting satisfying work. If these young people have spent serious...

Excellence in Wellness: Whole Self Care Program at S:US

The notion of Integrated Health in behavioral health care is rooted in the need to improve the health outcomes in the lives of people in recovery from mental and/or substance use disorders. Preventative measures are critical to addressing the rates of chronic illness and premature death experienced...