Amanda Timonere

Behavior is comparable to disease in driving distress, illness, and dysfunction in primary care patients. Behavioral clinicians have solutions, but few are employed in the setting. We need to rectify this and prioritize behavior change in primary care. Countless patients need behavioral interventions, and clinicians today are making an impact in brief (20-minute) visits. Dysfunctional behavior exacerbates chronic diseases like diabetes and depression. For example, patients often fail to take helpful medications for many reasons. Dysfunctional behavior ranges in complexity and magnitude, impacting physical and emotional health. Behavior merits attention as a unique clinical domain, not just for contributing to many disease processes. Traditional solutions are inadequate.  More behavioral training will not help PCPs succeed, and models like Collaborative Care cannot scale to meet the need. If behavior is as fundamental as disease in determining health and illness, we must reconfigure primary care and make behavior specialists routinely available. Over time, behavioral clinicians will be viewed as co-leaders of primary care teams, not simply adjunctive staff. Their accountability for the ubiquitous domain of behavior makes them essential clinical partners to PCPs. Each domain’s importance is undiminished by the other. See more 200-word essays on my website: https://lnkd.in/gDwmGpQW  

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🌟 New Blog: Supporting Eating Disorder Recovery with IOP and PHP 🌟 Explore how Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) and Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) provide essential support for teens and their families during recovery. Learn about tailored plans, therapy, meal support, and medical monitoring that make a difference. #EatingDisorderRecovery #MentalHealth #IOP #PHP #FamilySupport #InnerHavenWellness 

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NBHP provides free continuing education to our members; conferences, trainings, and other events for mental health and substance use disorder service providers employed by NBHP member organizations. Trainings focus on evidence-based practices and culturally relevant topics, ranging from trauma-informed care to telehealth to inequities in behavioral health. Over a thousand (duplicated) behavioral health professionals take advantage of NBHP’s trainings each year. NBHP is proud to offer live, interactive webinars. To overcome the administrative cost of hosting these events each month, we are beginning a new cost structure to attend monthly webinars for non-NBHP members: Per 1 hour of CE credit available during the webinar, attendance will cost $15.00 per person. (i.e. If the event offers 1 CE credit, attendance will cost $15.00. If the event offers 2 CE credit, attendance will cost $30.00, and so on).  If the attendee would like CE credit in addition to attending the event, and add-on cost of $20.00 will apply. (i.e. If the event offers 1 CE credit, total cost per non-NBHP member attendee will be $35.00 ($15.00 attendance fee + $20.00 add-on CE credit fee. If the event offers 2 CE credit, attendance would be $30.00 [$15.00x2] + $20.00 CE fee = $50.00, and so on). In addition to this, all past NBHP CE trainings have been made accessible to NBHP-members only. If you are an NBHP member seeking previous CE training recordings, please click here (Member Only Resources) and enter the passcode shared with you. Next event(s):  NBHP Members: Please click here (https://lnkd.in/gbx9jESk) to register for the April CE event, "OCD 101," on Monday, April 29, 12:00-1:00 PM. 1 hour of CE credit will be available to LMFTs, LPCs, LCDCs, Peer Support Specialists, Licensed Psychologists, Licensed Social Workers. The password to the page has been shared with you. Please email scarter@nbhp.org if you do not have access to the password and are an NBHP member organization looking to attend the webinar. Please stay tuned for details about our May 2024 event. ​----------------- Non-NBHP Members:  ​Please email scarter@nbhp.org to arrange payment if you are interested in attending this webinar and/or receiving CE credit and you are not a member of NBHP organization (find out here: https://lnkd.in/gSZ9FWWy). If you are interested in exploring membership options, click here: https://lnkd.in/gTQ95Hc6​. Thank you in advance. 

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You don't need me to remind you that we are in the midst of a mental health crisis. Recent guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), however, gives me cause for hope. Here's what they'll do for us: 1.) Schools can now receive higher reimbursement rates for mental health services provided. 2.) We now have easier methods for billing and claiming practices. 3.) Medicaid agencies and schools will partner to expand the use of the 988 hotline for students experiencing mental health crises. And most exciting: CMS has opened applications for state-level grants totaling $50 million to help expand school-based services across the country. #Medicaid #StudentWellness #MentalHealth

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We are in a real crisis as we face a growing psychiatrist and mental health provider shortage and an enormous demand for mental health services. How did we get here? America was already facing a psychiatric provider shortage prior to COVID-19. Post-pandemic, we have seen a drastic spike in the need for behavioral health and addiction treatment. According to The World Health Organization, there has been an increase of 25% in depression and anxiety diagnosis, a 23% increase in alcohol consumption, and a 16% increase of illicit drug use. Several factors fuel the shortage. ⬇️ The U.S. population has grown, there’s a lot of mental health need especially with the pandemic, and we don’t have enough residency slots to train people,” says Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD, psychiatry 🏥residency program director at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle. There’s also a retirement drain since more than 60% of psychiatrists are 55 or older. In response to the dramatic need, leaders in the field are working hard to find effective solutions. Most are using telemedicine to meet patients wherever they are within the ever changing laws around prescribing and location of provider & patient. Mental health and substance use can be treated via telemedicine however there are a variety of results and thoughts on this practice. Patients with a substance use diagnosis do best with a trusting relationship with their providers. Telemedicine will always have a place in medicine since the pandemic, but we seem to be all over the board on how often patients are seen in person. Why is this a concern? Addiction is a brain disease that can often deceive the individual on the severity of the diagnosis. A licensed professional and certified peer support staff are trained to be able to use motivational interviewing to help the individual recognize, on their own, that things may be more severe than they initially wanted to admit. This is much more effective, in my experience, done in person. Meeting with your patients on a HIPAA-compliant portal with unstable wifi, connectivity challenges, distractions in the home, and the sterile atmosphere of an online meeting just doesn't produce the best results. I am aware there is no returning to all in-person visits but we have a responsibility to our patients to see them in person regularly. Especially when prescribing controlled medications. What are your solutions to the ever-growing problem of staffing shortages? American Society of Addiction Medicine - ASAM American Nurses Association American Academy of Family Physicians American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB) #dnp #pmhnp #mentalhealth #addictionmedicine

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The Arc of the United States is making an active effort to improve mental health for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Increasing access to mental health services for people with IDDs is imperative, and as so many organizations work to reduce mental health crisis incidents at large, we must remember that crises for people with IDDs may look different or require different methods of care. A part of this conversation requires acknowledgment of the fact that people with IDDs often face barriers from the moment they are born, yet resources are scarce. Addressing the sigmas around IDDs and prioritizing IDD training for crisis responders are just two of the first steps we can take. #IDD #MentalHealth #CrisisResponse #IntellectualAndDevelopmentalDisabilities

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Measurement-based care (MBC) is widely accepted to be the foundation of effective behavioral health care. Why is it, then, that fewer than 20% of behavioral health clinicians integrate it into their practice? Traditionally, clinicians have faced barriers to implement MBC and have therefore been hesitant to adopt it. Lucet's approach is breaking those barriers—bringing data at scale to health plans, trackable treatment to clinicians, and engaging care to patients. Read more from VP of Clinical Strategy Liz Jones and the top takeaways from our latest white paper: https://hubs.la/Q02zK3dC0 #BehavioralHealth #MentalHealth #MBC #MeasurementBasedCare #WhitePaper

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Social isolation can be a major trigger for depression in older adults. That's just one of the vital topics Brigid Geary, of Senior Care Therapy at LCSW and host Krystal Boothe, discussed on Trauma Talks. Learn about depression in seniors from a mental health professional. Brigid explains how to unpack the complexities of mental health in older adults. Let's learn how to offer better, more informed support. Watch the full episode here https://lnkd.in/eA8qGrYj! #geriatricmentalhealth #seniorcare #agingparents #seniorminds

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Do you know an adolescent seeking behavioral health support? Our Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) may help. A few modules covered in our adolescent programs include: Mindfulness: The quality of awareness we bring to what we are doing and experiencing and being in the here and now. Distress Tolerance: Four groups of crisis survival strategies which include distraction, self‐soothing, improving the moment, and pros and cons. Emotional Regulation: The understanding of how emotions work and the skills needed to manage emotions instead of being managed by them. Interpersonal Relations: The application of the skills learned in the other modules to relationships with loved ones and those around us. For more information or to schedule a no-cost assessment, call us at (916) 288-0300.

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Behavioral health services are a vital component of resident care in long-term facilities. Each resident's well-being hinges on receiving the necessary behavioral health care to maintain their physical, mental, and psychosocial health. Diagnosis, cognitive assessment, and evaluation of behavioral symptoms are crucial elements in tailoring care plans to individual residents. Examples of behavioral symptoms include verbal threats, physical aggression, agitation, and wandering which not only affect the resident but also disrupt the facility's atmosphere and impact others. Addressing these behaviors requires teamwork among the care staff and identifying what might be causing the distress. It's essential to take a personalized approach for each resident, focusing on the assessment details, and non-medication interventions like redirecting their attention, involving them in activities they enjoy, and encouraging family involvement. Medications should only be considered when necessary after other interventions have been tried. Consider the case of Mrs. Thompson, a new admission with mild dementia and behavioral challenges. Mrs. Thompson had a supportive family that visited often; her behavior escalated after each visit with her crying out for them. The problem with the care plan was “adjustment issues related to admission”. Interventions focusing on redirection and family involvement were implemented, but unfortunately, her family visits were restricted under the premise of aiding her adjustment. The family was told that the restrictions would allow Mrs. Thompson to adjust to her new environment if she did not see them as often. Contrary to the intended effect, this isolation from her loved ones exacerbated Mrs. Thompson's mental distress, highlighting the crucial role of family support in her well-being. Rather than restricting family visits, efforts should have been made to enhance family involvement, as their support would have likely reassured Mrs. Thompson that she was not being abandoned. Effective behavioral health care requires a comprehensive approach that prioritizes individualized interventions, collaborative teamwork, and the active involvement of residents' families to ensure optimal well-being and quality of life. Meeting behavioral health needs requires personalized interventions; failure to ensure behavioral health needs are met deviates from the standards of care! #ewillslegalnurseconsultants #PersonalizedCare #BehavioralHealthAwareness

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Mental health conditions are the most common complications of pregnancy and the postpartum period, affecting 1 in 5 perinatal individuals. Mental health conditions—such as depression, anxiety, death by suicide, and substance use disorders—are the most frequent underlying cause of maternal death overall. This job aid presents high impact practices to respond to mental health conditions in the outpatient sexual and reproductive health setting, along with resources to support implementation: https://lnkd.in/gZtXBYPv This resource is part of a series of High Impact Practice Sets (HIPS), developed by the RHNTC in collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) that address leading causes of maternal mortality and racial disparities in #MaternalHealth.

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Providers - join us for a webinar featuring a diverse panel of experienced professionals from Motivo and CCHA as we delve into the latest research on the impact of mental health on providers and share invaluable insights into support services such as counseling, stress management and self-care resources. Date: June 26 Time: 1:30 - 3 Mountain Register today for the Thriving Not Just Surviving: Navigating Challenging Times as a Clinician forum: https://ow.ly/cxnP50RSLi4 Recognizing the emotional stress that providers often experience, this forum is designed to deepen the discussion on mental health and underscore the importance of prioritizing self-care for clinicians. #MentalHealth #SelfCare #HealthcareProviders #Webinar #CCHA #Wellbeing #HealthcareProfessionals #StressManagement

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The growing adoption of a trauma-informed approach within substance use disorder (SUD) care, highlights its potential benefits for patient outcomes and its appeal to health care payers. Trauma-informed care considers the patient's entire life experience, focusing not just on treating the substance use disorder but also addressing the underlying trauma that may contribute to substance abuse. This approach is characterized by a set of principles including safety, trustworthiness, peer support, collaboration, empowerment, and consideration of cultural, historical, and gender issues. Providers implementing this approach offer treatments such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy), alongside mindfulness and grounding techniques. These therapies help patients process and manage traumatic memories and stress. Furthermore, the article underscores the necessity of comprehensive screening for trauma in SUD patients, which has shown to significantly increase the identification of patients needing trauma-related care. The benefits of adopting a trauma-informed approach are diverse. It can lead to better patient engagement, reduced dropout rates from treatment programs, and a lower likelihood of relapse. Health plans and payers are starting to prefer partnerships with providers that offer trauma-informed care, recognizing the approach's effectiveness in improving clinical outcomes and potentially lowering long-term costs. The article also reflects on future directions for trauma-informed care, suggesting that there is room for improvement in how these services are delivered. Enhancements could include integrating more harm reduction strategies before stabilization and promoting a health care environment that emphasizes human connections and dignity. 🔗Read the full article on Behavioral Health Business' website: https://loom.ly/5hXxnMg #patientoutcomes #substanceuse #substanceusedisorder #trauma

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Did you know that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) experience higher rates of trauma? 🎙️The latest podcast episode of Disruptors at Work: An Integrated Care Podcast discusses how trauma manifests in I/DD, the challenges in diagnosis, and effective communication strategies for healthcare professionals. Click to listen: https://ow.ly/uaOt50SkBE8

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