Tag: behavioral health home

Q: Why do you do this work?
A: I do this work because I wish I had had someone who helped me when my child was young. It is hard to parent a child who struggles, it can be isolating. To have had someone who understood the types of things that I was going through would have been invaluable. As a parent of a child with special needs, I did not have a lot of natural supports, and I want to be able to fill this need for others.

Q: What can you bring to clients/families that is unique to you?
A: I can bring a different level of empathy because I have been there before. It’s one thing to give advice and connect someone with resources, but it’s another thing altogether to be able to connect based on shared experience. I can also give a behind the scenes look at services and options because I have accessed many of them myself.

“I can bring a different level of empathy because I have been there before.” – Julie P.

Q: What is one thing you want clients/families to know about your role?
A: My role is unique. I can do more to support and educate parents from a perspective of someone who has faced similar challenges. As a parent, the struggle continues even though my daughter is now over 18 years old.

Q: What are some examples of things you would do with a client/family during a typical meeting?
A: I am lucky to be able to do a wide variety of things in this role. For example, I spend a lot of time helping families prepare for meetings like IEPs or Family Team Meetings. I help families learn what to expect when interacting with the different systems like the courts, Child Protective Services, schools, and evaluations.

I role model parenting skills and can help talk parents through difficult situations. I also work with families to explore and encourage self-care. As caregivers, we are always thinking about what is best for those in our care and sometimes we forget to care for ourselves. I even practice self-care with clients by having a cup of tea and just talking.

Q: What is your favorite part about being in this role?
A: By far my favorite part is seeing those lightbulb moments. Those moments of growth when a person makes a new connection or sees a new truth. I love when a caregiver is able to see the impact of their behaviors and can successfully use their own behaviors and reactions to change the child’s behavior.

Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
A: I am a bit of a sci-fi geek so I would love to be able to travel to other dimensions. It would be interesting to see and learn to understand a world in a different way.

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Q: Why do you do this work?
A: I like that there is more of an overall wellness focus in this role and that treatment is focused on the whole person. I like that this program specifically looks at mental and physical health as intertwined because, as a nurse, I know that those two parts of us influence one another. Behind that is my passion for supporting those working through mental health needs. I enjoy teaching people and speaking to people in down-to-earth terms. Sometimes medical jargon gets overwhelming, and I like being the bridge that can help someone understand their medical needs.

Q: What can you bring to clients/families that is unique to your role?
A: We all have different life experiences and I can bring mine to the table. I have worked in medical and mental health settings, so I am able to work within both. I can help clients navigate the healthcare system in a way that supports their mental health growth.

“I feel like I’ve done my best work when a client can hang up the phone feeling
rejuvenated and ready to tackle their goals.”
– Deb M.

Q: What is one thing you want clients/families to know about your role?
A: I am here to support them. I can be a resource at any stage of someone’s wellness journey. I can be an educator, a helper, or a sounding board. I follow the client’s lead and help them make wellness goals that make sense for them.

Q: What are some examples of things you would do with a client/family during a typical meeting?
A: There are many things that I can do to help. For example, I often talk with clients about their wellness goals and provide them with education to help them reach those goals. This might be talking about strategies for accessing activities to be more active or discussing small changes they can make to their daily routine to live a healthier lifestyle.

I can also help them understand what their doctors are saying. If a client is told they have a new diagnosis or need a procedure and they don’t know what it means, they can call me, and I can help explain it to them. I can’t diagnose or treat the client, but I can help them understand. I can also provide emotional support. For example, if someone is trying to quit smoking and is having a hard day, I want them to give me a call so we can talk through the craving.

Q: What is your favorite part about being in this role?
A: I love to communicate and interact with clients. I enjoy being a motivator and helping clients figure out how to meet their goals. I feel like I’ve done my best work when a client can hang up the phone feeling rejuvenated and ready to tackle their goals.

Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
A: I would have a magic wand that could take away all of people’s worries and could fix everything. In this field, we always want to be able to help and a magic wand would come in handy. It would also be great to be able to do the dishes with one quick swish of a wand!

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Q: Why do you do this work?
A: I like doing peer support and I’m good at it. I like that you can just connect with people as people and you don’t have to worry about a lot of paperwork or be constantly assessing the person.

Q: What can you bring to clients/families that is unique to you?
A: I can help clients by coming at them from the perspective of someone who has had my own personal experience as a client receiving services. I can connect with a person because I know a little bit about what it’s like to be in their shoes and can share my own experiences with them.

“I am non-judgmental. To me, we are just two people getting to know and support each other.”– Carly M.

Q: What is one thing you want clients/families to know about you?
A: I am non-judgmental. I look at every new person as a clean slate. I don’t know anything about them, and they don’t know anything about me. To me, we are just two people getting to know and support each other.

Q: What is one thing you want clients/families to know about your role?
A: I am not a clinical provider. I can connect with you as you are and have no clinical agenda. I can meet you where you are and walk you through the work you will do in services.

Q: What are some examples of things you would do with a client/family during a typical meeting?
A: What I do with a client varies based on what the client and I decide we want to do. Sometimes I will meet with a client somewhere like a park or coffee shop and we just talk. Other times I might do an activity with them in the community that we both enjoy like a walk or visiting a new place.

Q: What is your favorite part about being in this role?
A: I like being able to meet people where they are and help them feel supported. I like making clients feel like they are not alone. I like meeting new people and getting to know them and their stories.

Q: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
A: The power to fix problems at the source. Figuring out what is happening and why can be hard and life would be so much easier if we could just know where it comes from.

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Studies have shown that adults with severe mental illness have a shorter lifespan than adults without a diagnosis by an average of 25 years. Additionally, 68% of adults with a mental health diagnosis have at least one chronic disease that limits their daily functioning.

Behavioral Health Home (BHH) programs are evidence-based care-coordination programs designed to reduce the impact of preventable diseases in people with mental health diagnoses by ensuring the coordination of medical and mental health treatment.

This coordination is done by BHH team members, including a wellness coordinator, peer/parent support person, nurse, consulting psychiatrist and primary care provider. The common goal is to address the gaps between physical health and mental health care plans.

BHH participation, when delivered with core principals, improves the outcomes of the individuals served—reducing emergency care visits and hospitalizations and increasing overall quality of life.

How can BHH help my client?

  • BHH creates treatment plans that address client life experiences, chronic stressors, poverty and isolation to reduce the risk of premature death.
  • A BHH team shows clients how to self-manage physical and mental health symptoms through education, coaching, forming support systems and connecting to community resources.
  • Emergency room use, appointment attendance and medication refills are monitored, and clients who have had two or more refills of antipsychotic medications have their blood sugars monitored.
  • Educational and peer support for adults in the program, and support to parents with children in the program, gives clients and their families the opportunity to learn from each other and to foster a sense of belonging and community engagement.

How does it benefit me as a healthcare provider to recommend BHH to my client?

  • Unlike other case management programs, BHH is an easier program to access. It does not require specific criteria relating to mental health diagnoses and you don’t need to write a section 17 letter.
  • The BHH team will ensure that the tools used during a client’s session encourage positive treatment outcomes, and that they continue to use the tools in their home and community.
  • Clients that struggle with chronic illness also struggle to attend appointments. As clients begin to feel better, they find it easier to attend sessions and take advantage of other resources available in the program.

Why HAM is the right BHH provider to partner with.

  • We don’t have a waitlist. We will assign your client within 24 hours and have a team member see them within 4-7 days.
  • We are not case management as usual. We worked with Maine Quality Counts to help design an effective program that adheres to the highest standards of BHH. We are fully committed to model fidelity.
  • We welcome client feedback and offer the ability to participate on an advisory board.
  • Our partnerships are important. We will be proactive in our collaboration with you and you can reach us at any time.
  • We collaborate with other case management programs. If we aren’t the right fit for your client, we will transfer them appropriately. (If your client would benefit from Section 13 or 17, they may still want to continue with BHH to work on self-management skills.)
  • We regularly consult with psychiatrists and primary care providers to ensure that we are educated and that we understand the impact of client treatment plans and interactions.

Do clients need to have a chronic illness to benefit from BHH?

No. If you have clients with mental health diagnoses and they are having challenges at school, work, home or community related environments, BHH can offer them help. The BHH program allows us to work on prevention activities that help with the overall well-being of your client such as nutrition, stress relief, physical activity and tobacco cessation.

Does my client need to have MaineCare?

Yes. A client must have full eligibility in MaineCare to qualify for BHH.

How do I refer a client?

We offer BHH services in Androscoggin County, and are accepting referrals for adults in Oxford and Southern Franklin County and surrounding communities.

Referrals can be made by calling us at (207) 333-3278 or (877) 888-4304. Click here for our online referral form. 

References:
Reisinger-Walker, E & Druss, B. (2011, February). Mental health disorders and medical co-morbidity. The Synthesis Project. Retrieved from: http://www.integration.samsha.gov/workforce

The Center for Integrated Health Solutions, SAMSHA-HRSA. (2012, May). Behavioral health homes for people with mental health and substance abuse conditions: The core clinical features. Retrieved at: http://www.integration.samsha.gov/workforce

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