Behavioral Healthcare

Browse past and current articles from this publication.

Combating stigma.(EDITORIAL)
Last month I came across stories about "Psycho Donuts," a business in Campbell, California, selling treats with names such as "massive head trauma," "biapolar," and "cereal killer" (the latter toppe . . .

What a recovery organization looks like: targets you should aim for to promote people's healing.(TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMATION)
In your quest to make your organization recovery oriented, you may feel like you are boldly going but aren't sure what. What does recovery look like? How will you know when you get there? Perhaps a . . .

Ringing out hope: for 100 years Mental Health America has been working to improve the well-being of all citizens.(ADVOCACY)
At the turn of the 20th century, Wall street financial Clifford W. Beers was so distraught over of illness and death of his brother that he attempted to take his own life by jumping out of a third-s . . .

More treatment options emerge: iloperidone received FDA approval last month.(ANTIPSYCHOTICS)
Since I last wrote about antipsychotics in development in the December 2007 issue,(1) some important changes have occurred. Here is an update on what recently has been FDA approved, what might be ne . . .

Offering Essential Solutions to people with depression: a managed care company creates a multiservice program.(DISEASE MANAGEMEN
Untreated or undertreated depression leads to significant personal morbidity, increased medical service utilization, increased mortality, and increased burdens on employers because of absenteeism an . . .

Jean Yawkey Place.(DESIGN FOCUS)
Jean Yawkey Place in Boston is operated by the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP), founded in 1985 by Jim O'Connell, MD, to provide behavioral and primary healthcare to people who a . . .

When will testing and treatment meet?(DRUG TESTING SOLUTIONS)
In this troubled economy, many people unfortunately are turning to alcohol and/ or drugs for temporary relief from multiple problems. Yet as use and addiction tighten their grip, many thankfully als . . .

Backing a variety of testing vehicles.(DRUG TESTING SOLUTIONS)
Urine screens traditionally have bee the favored mechanism for drug testing efforts, whether ordered by an addiction treatment center, a court jurisdiction, or a workplace. Yet an administrator of a . . .

A useful test for monitoring alcohol use.(DRUG TESTING SOLUTIONS)
Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin, known as "%CDT," is a blood test to detect heavy alcohol use (five or more drinks a day) over the past two weeks. (1) This alcohol biomarker can provide clinician . . .

It's ok to use multiple applications: the key is whether they are part of an integrated, enterprise-wide system.(VIEWS ON TECHNO
Through our work of installing enterprise software in social service agencies, we've noticed that many providers use a myriad of connected (and not so connected!) applications. Client information of . . .

Preparing for major healthcare reform: a look at possible consequences for addiction treatment.(NAATP INSIGHTS)
Once President Barack Obama opened the door to the meeting of a very diverse group of stakeholders in the healthcare reform debate, information has been moving at a frenetic pace. Proposals, concept . . .

A world of experience: after working in Alaska and Greece, Candace Clausen comes home to the Midwest.(MOVER)
In her more than 30 years as a recovery and addiction counselor, interventionist, and executive, Candace Clausen, MBA, CADAX, ICADC, has worked in a variety of settings, in large and small facilitie . . .

Celebrating collaboration.(EDITORIAL)
The theme of last month's National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare conference was "Together we will," and attendees were invited to imagine all they could accomplish through their collec . . .

Providing an exit from case management: programs need to promote self-sufficiency.(TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMATION)
Have you ever noticed that most case management programs don't provide a way for people to leave or graduate because they have become so much better as a result of the services they received? Once a . . .

Increasing inpatient beds a team effort: multiple stakeholders work together to add beds in Northwest Arkansas.(INPATIENT SERVIC
Many communities struggle with an inadequate number of inpatient psychiatric beds. This problem was particularly acute in Northwest Arkansas, a growing area of the state. To address this situation, . . .

Working to reunite families torn apart by mental illness: a program helps parents with psychiatric disabilities regain custody o
Parents with psychiatric disabilities face many challenges, especially if their children are placed in foster care--the cards are stacked against them regaining custody. To help reunite families, th . . .

Short-term solutions with long-term benefits: providing frequent users of emergency departments with multidisciplinary services
Every month Bob sought treatment at Highland Hospital's (Oakland, California) emergency department (ED) for cellulitis. Bob was homeless, so he was unable to shower or perform necessary hygiene. Yea . . .

Reorganizing to provide integrated care: three agencies aim for better coordinated care in Northeast Colorado.(CARE COORDINATION
By nature of how they were created, mental health and substance use treatment organizations often serve specific populations in specific locations. But over time agencies have realized that these se . . .

If you build it, they will come: creating a new clubhouse was an inclusive process.(FACILITY DESIGN)
"If you build it, he will come." This line from Field of Dreams certainly has proven true for Independence Center, a distinguished clubhouse-model mental health program in St. Louis experiencing u . . .

On the threshold of hope: the design of alcohol and drug treatment facilities can support patients' recovery.(FACILITY DESIGN)
When a person makes the courageous decision to enter a drug and alcohol treatment facility, he/she is literally crossing a threshold from shame to hope. Architecture, landscaping, and interior desig . . .

Keep up to date on ARRA funding: some dollars are available to behavioral healthcare providers, but lobbying will be needed to s
There has been a great deal of excitement in the healthcare and information technology communities since mid-February. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) contains provisions f . . .

Managed care: key to a transformed system: it has an important role in parity's implementation and upcoming reforms.(PERSPECTIVE
Our industry has not yet absorbed the tremendous changes signed into law last year in the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the phased-in reforms to . . .

Time to stop being one-dimensional: we're focused on disease while neglecting health.(THE MANDERSCHEID REPORT)
For the past three score years, we in the mental health and substance use care fields have been "one-dimensional" people: We have focused only on disease and its remediation. Our efforts have produc . . .

Committed to helping others: Shannon Harvey has served as a teacher, project manager and, now, CEO.(MOVER)
The new CEO of River Edge Behavioral Health Center in Macon, Georgia, took a somewhat circuitous route through the behavioral healthcare field on her way to her new position. "I'm a teacher by tra . . .

Leaders' role in tough times.(EDITORIAL)
These certainly are tough times for behavioral healthcare organizations. In Hawaii, for example, the state said last month that it won't be able to pay mental healthcare providers for some contracte . . .

Inspired by Hopewell.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
When I received my February issue of Behavioral Healthcare I was immediately struck by the beauty of the cover depicting Hopewell, a therapeutic farming community in Northeast Ohio for adults with m . . .

Recovery was Father Martin's life's work: Father Joseph Martin leaves a strong legacy.(IN REMEMBRANCE)
Last month Father Joseph Martin, co-founder of Father Martin's Ashley treatment center in Havre de Grace, Maryland, died at age 84 after battling illnesses for several years. Leaders across the beha . . .

Transform your expectations: leaders must maintain a hopeful outlook and keep expectations high.(TOOLS FOR TRANSFORMATION)
Last month we talked about how tough things are these days. We talked about this being a time for heroes to step forward and for focusing on thriving instead of just surviving. We encouraged you to . . .

Taking a stand pays off: a treatment center finds benefits from entering the legislative process.(ADVOCACY)
Can corporate social responsibility improve patient care and overall program success? Or is it simply one more line in the expense column? Many healthcare organizations struggle to accomplish thei . . .

Providing direction: Hazelden's new president and CEO plans on growing the organization even in a troubled economy.(LEADERSHIP)
Mark G. Mishek considers himself to be a listener. "I'm always listening, listening, listening, and trying to understand what the client needs, what an employee needs, and what a donor wants," expla . . .

From monastery to treatment center: a historic building becomes a place for people to seek recovery.(ADDICTION TREATMENT)
When we opened our doors at The Abbey last autumn, I felt an inexplicably divine sense that my work for the prior 17 years had been leading up to this moment. As I reflect on that transformational m . . .

A place to bury addictions: Serenity Ranch has a cemetery where people leave their addictions behind.(ADDICTION TREATMENT)
People recovering from addictions often undergo spiritual transformations as they learn ways to live their lives free from substances and destructive behaviors. Jim Gray, founder of Serenity Ranch i . . .

Tackling a weighty issue: Operation PAR develops an education program to counteract weight gain among clients enrolled in a meth
Introduction Provider organizations can take many different paths to improving service quality, but the overall goal is the same: making treatment a better experience for patients. This can involv . . .

No margin, no mission: for Livengrin, improving quality included finding a way to survive financially.(SPECIAL SECTION)
Across its 43 years of providing treatment for alcohol and drug addiction, Livengrin Foundation of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, has seen many changes in both the field and how it conducts its operations. . . .

Promoting benchmarking in addiction treatment: three partners launch a national benchmarking initiative.(PROCESS IMPROVEMENT)
These are unprecedented times in the field of addiction services. State capitols around the country are dealing with deep holes in their budgets by making serious, often draconian, cuts to human ser . . .

A detox facility goes green: the building has been recognized for its environmentally friendly features.(FACILITY DESIGN)
Boulder, Colorado, is known for being environmentally friendly, havingbeen dubbed one of the world's top-ten greener cities by Urban Land Green magazine and one of the Best Green Cities in America b . . .

Use data to promote a holistic approach: organizations that effectively use data will help consumers live healthier.(VIEWS ON TE
Population health management (PHM) is the concept of predicting, maintaining, and coordinating the health of an individual within an at-risk population. An effective PHM program strives to achieve t . . .

Stepping back from deinstitutionalization? The jury is still out, but new data show some disturbing trends.(THE MANDERSCHEID REP
Important new data I published recently with Joanne Atay and Raquel Crider (both with SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services) in Psychiatric Services show that for the first time in 50 years, th . . .

Focused on mission and values: Timothy Sinnott aims to create better workplaces and treatment programs.(MOVER)
In his more than 25-year career leading addiction rehabilitation programs, Timothy Sinnott, MFT, CADC-II, has approached his duties with dedication and compassion rooted in his own experiences as a . . .

Keeping an open mind.(Editorial)
At the SECAD '09 conference last month, opening keynoter Carlton K. Erickson, PhD, emphasized the importance of being open to new concepts and fresh ideas in substance abuse treatment. Dr. Erickson, . . .

Tough times call for tough decisions: as you reconsider your service mix, make recovery programming a priority.(TOOLS FOR TRANSF
We know times are tough. Budget cutbacks have forced many organizations to lay off staff and reduce services. But we can use tough times to further organizational transformation. "Transformation?! . . .

A place for everyone: several years ago Alternatives Unlimited, Inc., had a big problem--a 32,369-square-foot problem to be exac
The provider of employment, housing, and day habilitation services for people with psychiatric and. developmental disabilities in central Massachusetts couldn't find a buyer for an old mill complex . . .

Small steps can yield big results: you don't need to reinvent the wheel to help people live healthier.(SPECIAL SECTION: WELLNESS
The notion that we are a "supersized nation" has been offered as one of the many reasons why Americans are struggling with healthy nutrition and body weight. This idea suggests that bigger is better . . .

A whole-person approach: a mental healthcare provider offers on-site primary care and wellness services.(SPECIAL SECTION: WELLNE
People with serious mental illnesses often suffer with chronic, many times life-threatening, physical health conditions. They can have difficulty accessing primary care services or be treated by gen . . .

Re-shaping the status quo: a mental health agency motivates consumers to take charge of their health.(SPECIAL SECTION: WELLNESS
Mental health workers across the nation are no strangers to funerals. In fact, it is hard to find people in the field who haven't attended a client's funeral. Some even have accepted this as a "norm . . .

Emphasizing holistic care: a mental healthcare provider integrates physical healthcare into its services.(SPECIAL SECTION: WELLN
Persons with severe mental illness (SMI) in the public system die 25 years earlier than their counterparts in the general population. (12) This is due in large part to treatable medical conditions a . . .

A place for minds and bodies to heal: a new clubhouse helps people with brain injuries reintegrate into the community.(BRAIN INJ
Eric Powell was told he likely would never walk or talk again after a severe car wreck almost seven years ago. A semitruck jackknifed on I-95 and spilled its payload of several tons of lumber across . . .

Something old becomes something new: how a behavioral health center helped revitalize a historic downtown.(COMMUNITY COLLABORATI
In 2002 LifeSpring, a community behavioral health center serving southern Indiana, was looking for new corporate headquarters after outgrowing its home for the past 30 years. The board of directors . . .

Form 990 brings big changes: a CFO and an attorney discuss the impact of the new IRS form.(FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT)(Chief financial
Historically, the completion of Form 990 merely signaled to me the end of another annual audit process. Once the 990 was reviewed, signed, and submitted to the IRS, the annual audit "ritual" was put . . .

The 990 requires increased governance and oversight.(FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT)
CFOs have been forced to become aware of the new 990's specific features. The changes are significant in terms of the breadth and depth of information about the organization. However, it is importan . . .