Federal subsidies to encourage the use of health information technology—currently available to medical providers—should be extended to providers treating people with mental health or substance abuse disorders, panelists urged at a May 4 forum on behavioral health.

Better integration of behavioral health and physical health is essential for improving overall health outcomes, the panelists said, and one way to help promote this integration is through the use of health IT, two panelists noted.]]> More Use of Health IT Needed Among Behavioral Health Providers, Panelists Say
By Ralph Lindeman

Federal subsidies to encourage the use of health information technology—currently available to medical providers—should be extended to providers treating people with mental health or substance abuse disorders, panelists urged at a May 4 forum on behavioral health.

Better integration of behavioral health and physical health is essential for improving overall health outcomes, the panelists said, and one way to help promote this integration is through the use of health IT, two panelists noted. They spoke at a forum on “Behavioral Health: Can Primary Care Help Meet the Growing Need?” sponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health education group.

Mental health and substance abuse providers currently are ineligible to receive health IT financial subsidies made available in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, noted Joseph Parks, chief clinical officer for the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

Behavioral Issues May Be Ignored

Without easy access to a patient’s medical history through health IT, physicians treating patients for physical problems are frequently unaware of any mental health or substance abuse issues these patients may have, Parks pointed out.

To help share treatment information among providers, Parks said his agency makes available to the state’s Medicaid providers all claims data for the Medicaid enrollee they are treating.

“If you think about it, your insurance company knows much more about your medical care than any individual doctor,” Parks said. “Most payers don’t make that information available to the treaters, which is a dumb business decision.”

Agreeing with Parks, Sam Donaldson, president and CEO of Cenpatico, a behavioral health care organization, noted that a bill currently pending in the Senate, the proposed Behavioral Health Information Technology Act (S. 539), would extend the availability of financial subsidies for electronic health records to behavioral and mental health professionals. The bill is sponsored by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine).

S. 539 also would extend health IT subsidies to psychiatric hospitals, community mental health centers, residential and outpatient mental health treatment facilities, and substance abuse treatment facilities.

“Only 8 percent of these providers have fully implemented electronic records,” Donaldson noted.

The Senate bill, which has bipartisan support, is pending in the Senate Finance Committee, which has not acted on the bill since it was introduced in March 2011.

Parity in Rehabilitation Coverage Lacking

In addition to extending health IT incentives, Parks said another policy area that merits federal attention is requiring health plans to provide more coverage for behavioral health rehabilitation. “If you have a stroke or a heart attack, most benefit plans will give you about three to six months of rehabilitation services,” he noted.

“But you don’t get that after you are discharged from a mental hospital or after hospitalization for a suicide attempt,” Parks said. “Parity means that you get rehabilitation support and community services following a hospitalization for psychosis or a suicide attempt,” he said, adding, “That’s a parity issue that needs to be attended to.”

John O’Brien, senior policy adviser for the Disabled and Elderly Health Programs Group at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the key areas his office is focusing on are:

• integrating primary care and behavioral health;
• developing strategies to achieve parity in the treatment of mental health and substance abuse problems and other medical problems among health plans;
• expanding opportunities for home and community-based services; and
• directing care to children and youth with behavioral health needs.

To help promote recruitment of more mental health professionals, Donaldson said he advocates a federal program “akin to the Peace Corps,” which he described as “a policy at the national level that would pay for schooling and loans” for mental health professionals. In return, they would provide a certain number of years of service to low-income people in need.

Large Segment of Population at Risk

Deanna Okrent, a senior policy adviser with the Alliance for Health Reform, provided an overview of the U.S. population with behavioral health issues, noting that:

• nearly half of all Americans will develop a mental illness;
• 27 percent of Americans will have a substance abuse disorder;
• in 2009, mental health conditions were the fourth most common reason for hospital admissions among children; and
• in 2007, nearly one-third of adults and one-fifth of children had a behavioral health problem.

Also, among people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, who are often disabled or elderly low-income enrollees with chronic health conditions, Okrent said mental health issues affect 50 percent of disabled enrollees and 20 percent of the elderly enrollees.

Tempe, Ariz. – Cenpatico of Arizona is dispatching its mobile crisis team to Willcox in response to Thursday’s shooting at a high school that resulted in a student being injured.  Crisis counselors are available to assist anyone who may require help, and a person does not have to be a Cenpatico participant to use the counseling service. 

A toll free 24-hour crisis hotline is also available at (866) 495-6735.]]> Cenpatico Mobile Crisis Team Responds to Willcox Incident
Counseling is available for anyone needing help following Thursday’s shooting

Tempe, Ariz. – Cenpatico of Arizona is dispatching its mobile crisis team to Willcox in response to Thursday’s shooting at a high school that resulted in a student being injured.  Crisis counselors are available to assist anyone who may require help, and a person does not have to be a Cenpatico participant to use the counseling service. 

A toll free 24-hour crisis hotline is also available at (866) 495-6735. Cenpatico is the ADHS/DBHS (Arizona Department of Health Services/ Division of Behavioral Health Services) Regional Behavioral Health Authority for Cochise County.

“We stand ready to help anyone in the Willcox community affected by the shooting,” said Terry Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of Cenpatico of Arizona.  “Incidents like this affect people in different ways.  Our counseling experts are prepared to help in any way possible.”

Cenpatico’s mobile crisis team will be in place Monday morning at Willcox High School to assist students as they return to class.

Cenpatico is the Regional Behavioral Health Authority for Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.  Cenpatico Behavioral Health of Arizona (Cenpatico) services are funded through a contract with the Arizona Department of Health Service/Division of Behavioral Health Services (ADHS/DBHS) and AHCCCS.  For more information, visit:  www.cenpaticoaz.com.

Tempe, Ariz. – Cenpatico of Arizona presented a check for $32,000 this afternoon to Mountain Health & Wellness (MHW) to create garden pathways at Earthheart Park and Community Garden in Apache Junction.  The contribution is one of several Community Reinvestment Awards given by Cenpatico throughout its Arizona service areas. 

The four-acre wellness based garden and park will be located at Superstition Boulevard and Plaza Drive adjacent to the new MHW Integrated Health Care Facility. 

“At Cenpatico, we are dedicated to being a partner with our local communities and are always looking for opportunities to give back,” said Terry Stevens, Chief Executive Officer of Cenpatico of Arizona.  “Earthheart Park is a perfect fit with our goal of improving lives.”

The park and community garden will actively promote eight areas of wellness including physical, emotional and environmental.  It will serve as a community gathering place for physical activity, nutritional awareness and artistic expression. 

“Earthheart Park will be a valuable resource for our community,” said Rob Evans, CEO and President of Mountain Health & Wellness.  “We very much appreciate the financial support provided by Cenpatico of Arizona to make this dream become a reality.”

As part of its new contracts with the Arizona Department of Health Services, Cenpatico committed to giving back a percentage of its after-tax profits for community reinvestment.  Earlier this year, Cenpatico sought proposals from community organizations to fund worthwhile projects.

Cenpatico is the Regional Behavioral Health Authority for Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.  Cenpatico Behavioral Health of Arizona (Cenpatico) services are funded through a contract with the Arizona Department of Health Service/Division of Behavioral Health Services (ADHS/DBHS) and AHCCCS.