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Authors Posts by Jim Sharp

Jim Sharp

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0 2003

“Cancer doesn’t just happen to one person; it has an impact on the entire family.” “Nearly half (42%) of the partners of young breast cancer survivors (diagnosed at age ≤40 years) experience anxiety, even years after their partner’s diagnosis, according to a new survey of 289 such partners.” These are the findings of a recent study reported in Medscape in advance of the 2017 Cancer Survivorship Symposium, held in San Diego, California. Lead author Nancy Borstelmann, MPH, MSW, Director Of Social Work at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, found that maladaptive coping includes behaviors such as emotional withdrawal, denial, drinking alcohol, blaming, and aggression, adding that this behavior was “strongly” associated with higher levels of anxiety. Intervene early, she advised: “Ask partners how they are doing to bring them into the conversation.” Helpful resources include support groups, information materials on cancer, and meetings with a social worker or psychologist. Study respondents had a median age of 43 years, were mostly Caucasian (93%), working full time (94%), and college educated (78%), and were parents of children younger than 18 years (74%). A minority (29%) reported some financial stress and one third (32%) reported at least a fair amount of relationship concern.

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In recent months, Pennsylvania’s Learning Community has focused on challenges to financing and payment for mental health care in the primary care and collaborative care settings. The SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions (CIHS) has provided the field with an array of information, presentations, and other resources related to the financing of mental health services in primary care and integrated care settings. Below are some of the resources that CIHS has made available to us here in Pennsylvania.

  • The ability to bill for both behavioral health and primary care services on the same day is an essential part of integrating care. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) created the Billing Properly for Behavioral Health Services booklet to help providers understand the laws and regulations that govern billing for behavioral health services.
  • The resource also includes a checklist to help evaluate your billing procedures and identify potential errors, as well as a resource guide for your billing staff to review current guidelines, billing and coding, covered services, and compliance information.
  • Learn ways you can enhance and streamline your billing process through Improving Your Third-Party Billing System, a self-paced online course from SAMHSA’s BHbusiness initiative.

CIHS continually updates its website to present the best and newest resources and information relevant to integrated primary and behavioral health care.

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Registration is now open for the 2017 Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Conference: Building Skills for Lifelong Success, to be held Monday, March 13, 2017, at the Hilton Harrisburg.

There is an amazing lineup of national experts who will present workshops on SEL policy and practice. The keynote speaker will be Dave Levin, Co-Founder of the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP). When registering, be sure to pre-select the workshops that are of most interest to you. Selecting workshops may be difficult, considering the number of great topics and presenters available, so bring along a few colleagues and gather as much information as you can.

Participants are responsible for their own travel and lodging arrangements/costs. A limited block of rooms has been reserved at a discounted rate of $139 single/double occupancy per night plus tax at the Hilton Harrisburg until Monday, February 20, 2017. Make reservations online or call 717-233-6000 and reference group code “SEL” in order to obtain the discounted rate. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Find workshop descriptions, additional conference information, and registration on the conference website. For additional questions, feel free to contact Amy Moritz, Youth Development Coordinator, Center for Schools and Communities, at 717-763-1661.

0 2283

The Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) invites our Learning Community to discuss the innovative approaches that not-for-profit, community-based health plans are using to integrate primary care and behavioral health on Wednesday, January 18, at 1:00 pm. The presentation and discussion of innovative examples of integrating primary care and behavioral health features Dr. Judith Feld (Independent Health), Dr. James Schuster (UPMC), and Dr. Mason Turner (Kaiser Permanente), and focuses on:

UPMC Health Plan is integrating primary care and behavioral health with programs such as co-locating behavioral health specialists at primary care sites, placing care managers within primary care practices to assist with care coordination, and reverse co-locating primary care physicians in behavioral health settings.

Independent Health has fully integrated behavioral health consultants within nine patient-centered medical homes, resulting in high patient satisfaction and significantly increased use of screening rates for mental health and substance abuse.

Kaiser Permanente’s evidence-based collaborative care approach to depression treatment helps adult members who have been newly diagnosed with mild-to-moderate depression and who have started an antidepressant.

Registration for this webinar is required.

0 2102

The opioid crisis in Pennsylvania and in America has resulted in a major call to action from Pennsylvania’s leadership as well as national leaders. Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health calls for increased integration of primary care and addiction services. Join one of the authors of the report, Dr. Connie Weisner, in a discussion of the findings and what efforts are needed to support integrating screening, assessments, interventions, use of medications, and care coordination. Hear practical examples from an HRSA-funded primary care provider about the steps they take to successfully and continually address substance use.

The SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions will host a webinar focusing on the substance use and opioid crisis and coordinated care on Thursday, January 5, 2017, 3:00 pm.

After this webinar, participants will:

  • Understand the key findings related to integration of substance use and primary care services detailed within The Surgeon General’s report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health;
  • Identify concrete ways primary care settings can integrate substance use treatment and early intervention activities into their services;
  • Describe why early intervention activities such as SBIRT are important to overall health;
  • Gain ideas for using the report to educate staff, board, and clients to facilitate conversation about addictions; and
  • Learn about useful resources for setting up and providing substance use services in an integrated health setting.

Register here →
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