-
Seeing Through Crisis: A Behavioral Health Approach to Chronic Pain
Pain is a subjective experience, which means it is influenced by an individual’s perceptions, emotions, beliefs, and cultural factors. When assessing pain, healthcare providers rely heavily on the individual’s self-report to understand the nature, intensity, and impact of their pain experience....
-
A “Prescription” for Integrated Care for Chronic Pain and Associated Conditions
A rising incidence of physical pain, and chronic physical pain in particular, necessitates a comprehensive examination of its underpinnings and relationship with other dimensions of health and wellbeing. This poses unique challenges for behavioral healthcare providers who operate amid a deeply...
-
Revolutionizing Healthcare: The Future of Integrated Care for All
In a landmark move, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through CMS, announced on January 19, 2024 the Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model. This initiative is a game-changer in healthcare, especially for underserved and marginalized communities where health disparities...
-
Guide to Equity Terminology: Promoting Behavioral Health Equity through the Words We Use
In the field of behavioral health, words are often our primary tools. We don’t have hammers and saws, thermometers and stethoscopes, or brushes and palettes. Words are powerful tools and using them with intention is central to our craft. “I’ll never forget, years ago, when I was asked to...
-
Game-Changers: Expanding Access to Substance Use Disorder Treatment in 2024
Substance use disorders (SUD) and overdose deaths remain a serious public health concern: prevalence rates, particularly opioids and fentanyl, and the provisional data on drug overdose deaths continue to climb. These statistics underscore the importance of prevention and access to treatment for...
-
What is Old is New Again: Recognizing the Value of Housing and Employment in Recovery
To successfully navigate unprecedented epidemics of mental illness and substance use, we must address both an enduring workforce crisis and the myriad political and socioeconomic factors that undermine behavioral health, particularly for members of vulnerable populations. Many individuals with...
-
A State Agency’s Role in Supporting Housing and Employment within Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery
Historically, the substance use disorder (SUD) treatment service delivery system has operated within an episode of care, with separate programs and unrelated options. There has been an evolution towards developing a continuum of care for substance use disorder treatment and recovery services. These...
-
The Integrated Role of Housing and Employment in Recovery
When you think of recovery, you often think of what we would consider our social determinants of health: financial stability, housing and surrounding environment, health care access, education, and social connections. When a person is doing well in all these domains, they generally thrive and...
-
Addressing Social Determinants of Health Among Individuals Experiencing Homelessness
Over 582,000 individuals on a single night in 2022 across the country were struggling with one of the key social determinants of health: homelessness. The Point-in-Time (PIT) census counts sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. The PIT count is...
-
Assisting Individuals with Employment at WJCS Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics
Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) operates four Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC), with funding provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in Westchester County, NY. When individuals first enter our clinic, they are greeted by a...
