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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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Community-Based Mental Health Agencies Must Be a Part of the Social Determinant Solution
The behavioral health community can take enormous pride in the societal evolution of attitudes toward mental health challenges (to avoid the repeat of the word “treatment”). Psychological treatment is no longer discussed only in hushed tones but is now more accepted and supported than ever. But...
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HealthCare Choices Partners with PurpleSun to Combat COVID-19 Infections in Brooklyn
HealthCare Choices NY, Inc. (HCC) has partnered with NY based PurpleSun to bring light-based technology solutions for infection prevention to our two Brooklyn locations, in East NY and Bensonhurst. With funds used from our acquisition of a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant,...
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Providing Care Afterhours: The BestSelf Way
Maintaining behavioral health is a key factor in an individual’s well-being. An individual’s social health is molded by conditions like academic and occupational achievement, economic stability, public safety, and social welfare expenditures (M. Alegria, Social Determinants of Mental Health,...
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The Social Determinants of Help-Seeking for Young Men of Color
Vibrant Emotional Health provides clinical case management and crisis intervention services to young men of color (YMOC) in The Fellowship Initiative, a college attainment program for YMOC in New York City, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles, funded and operated by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. Our...
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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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Social Determinants of Rural Zip Codes
Only recently have we come to recognize the social determinants of mental health. Social determinants are those non-medical factors that play a significant role in our health and mental health. They include such things as education, economic stability, social connections, where we live,...
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NYS Office of Mental Health Seeks to Address the Social Determinants That Affect Mental Health in Our Communities
A part of New York State’s strength lies in its diversity, which provides us with the wisdom of many different cultures from which we can all learn. But diversity is often accompanied by inexcusable inequity, as residents of some communities are exposed greater risk of health problems. The...
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Is Technology a Social Determinant of Health?
In late March of 2020, Alicia R. called the intake line at Service Program for Older People (SPOP), a New York City-based behavioral health care provider for older adults. This was during the peak of the initial COVID-19 outbreak in New York City and all residents were advised to remain in their...
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The NYSPA Report: American Psychiatric Association Approaches to Social Determinants of Mental Health
The year 2020 refocused our attention on the social determinants of mental health. From structural racism to economic insecurity to healthcare disparities, people have become acutely aware of the insidious discrimination and losses that vulnerable individuals and communities have suffered. Rates of...