Archive for the ‘Health and Wellness’ Category

Investing in the Integrated Care Workforce

It is no longer a new idea that the mind and body are intrinsically connected; Socrates via Plato, described this around 360 B.C. Yet, we still separate and silo these aspects of care; treating behavioral health needs like schizophrenia in mental health clinics and physical issues like diabetes in...

Self-Care is Essential to Well-being at Work

By now, “self-care” and “workplace wellness” aren’t novel concepts. It would be difficult not to find myriad references to both in the popular and professional press. Many organizations, including in the private sector, healthcare and government have embraced employee wellness programs,...

Caregiver Support Group

When serious illness strikes an older adult, the family is usually on the front line for care and support. Because the burden is often so extreme, friends may be called upon for a ride to a doctor’s appointment or a home-cooked meal once in a while, but it is the spouse, domestic partner, and/or...

When and Where They Need It: Providing Community-Based Services to Families and Youth for Foundational Wellbeing

For community providers serving children and families in New York, there is a contemplative question our work presents to us like an ever-unfolding puzzle – how can we get young people to the services that will support their ability to live their best lives? Many creative strategies have been...

The East New York Health Hub: Realizing the Promise of Whole Health

Over the last few decades, there has been an increasing focus on health care reform and bending the cost curve through a combination of new approaches including social determinants of health, trauma-informed treatment, health equity, patient engagement and integrated care. While these elements have...

Supporting Vulnerable Populations: A Model That Can Make a Difference

In an increasingly complex and competitive healthcare environment, ensuring access to integrated care for our most vulnerable populations is becoming evermore challenging. Metro Community Health Centers (MCHC) has embraced this challenge and is providing patient-centered services designed...

Systems Transformation in Progress: Promise and Pitfalls

A couple of months ago I attended a conference in Albany in order to learn of the latest developments in the state’s movement toward a “value based” healthcare delivery system. Monica Oss, Chief Executive Officer of Open Minds, a publication that explores the intricacies of behavioral...

CCBHC as a Roadmap for Behavioral Health Leadership and Participation within Accountable Delivery Systems

Uncertainty about the future state of publicly-funded health care is widespread following the presidential election. However, the design of accountable delivery systems committed to comprehensive, cost effective care continues to have bipartisan support. Such systems demand a full array of health,...

Promoting Cultural Competence to Address Health Disparities and Improve Health Outcomes

Health disparities are preventable differences in health outcomes that are experienced by disadvantaged populations. They are a leading factor in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of health conditions across specific populations in the US. These factors can influence the available...

NYC Mayor and First Lady Release Mental Health Roadmap

Mayor Bill de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray have released ThriveNYC: A Mental Health Roadmap for All. ThriveNYC is a plan of action to guide the city toward a more effective and holistic system that outlines 54 initiatives, 23 of them new, to support the mental well-being of New Yorkers....