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The NYSPA Report: The Future of Telehealth in New York State
For many years, the New York State Psychiatric Association (NYSPA) has been advocating for mental health parity – equivalent coverage and reimbursement for the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders. In addition to Timothy’s Law, New York’s mental health mandate, and the...
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Telehealth: Short and Long-Term Implications for Behavioral Health
Since the pandemic took hold just over a year ago, behavioral health entities had to adjust almost overnight to virtual care to ensure that services were not interrupted, especially for our most vulnerable populations. For many of these clients, in addition to the help they receive for their mental...
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Technology Helps OMH Increase Access and Continuity of Healthcare
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread and intensified last year, the NYS Office of Mental Health and behavioral healthcare workers across the nation faced two great challenges: First, ensuring our patients could access the treatment and services they needed without increasing the risk of exposure; and...
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Putting Tech to Work: Adapting and Enhancing Our Services
Putting advanced technology to work at Odyssey House was underway before COVID-19 disrupted our work and personal lives forcing us to change how we interact with each other. We have consistently invested in ways to make our administrative and program management tasks more efficient with remote...
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Psychological Fallout of the Pandemic: What We Know, What We Don’t
More and more studies confirm widespread psychological fallout from the pandemic. The studies also confirm intuitive expectations about which populations are most psychologically vulnerable—those directly experiencing illness and death, those with economic hardship, frontline health care and...
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COVID-19 Crisis Exposes Missing Social Determinant of Health Domain
The Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY), established in 1893, is the oldest and largest not-for profit home health care agency in the country. VNSNY established its Community Mental Health Services (CMHS) division in 1986 with the first community based mobile crisis program. As a division,...
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Personalized Recovery-Oriented Services in the Era of Social Distancing
Personalized Recovery-Oriented Services (PROS) is a program which evolves around increased socialization, togetherness, and connections. Our group classes at The Guidance Center of Westchester (TGCW) are lively, and our participants thrive in an environment where they learn and gain support from...
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Telehealth Appointment Tips
Gather all the information you might need before your appointment. This might include your list of medications (with dosages), medical conditions, problems and symptoms you want to address, and a list of questions for the healthcare practitioner. Find a private spot in your home so you feel...
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Managing Anxiety and Protecting the Vulnerable in the Midst of a Pandemic
Who could have predicted last Thanksgiving how fundamentally different our lives would become in the months ahead? The way we work, shop, and socialize have all changed dramatically, as have the ways in which healthcare providers serve our patients. Even before the full impact of the...
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Remote Access to Mental Health Care and Treatment During the COVID-19 Crisis
New York State has unfortunately become an epicenter of the COVID-19 public health emergency, with more confirmed positive cases than any other State in the nation. During the COVID-19 crisis, the use of telehealth and telemedicine has become an essential tool in ensuring continued access to mental...
