Category Archives: Mental Health/Substance Use Care

Busting Myths About Mental Illness

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It is very possible to survive and thrive after being diagnosed with a mental illness. Nearly 20 percent of American adults will suffer from a mental illness at some point in a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The condition can range from a mild, short-lived bout of depression to severe schizophrenia that may require hospitalization or lifelong medication.

As common as mental illness is though, certain myths are surprisingly persistent and prejudice continues to be widespread.  “Busting Myths About Mental Illness” on CaliforniaHealthline.org, provides insight into some of the common beliefs shown below:

  1. You can “snap out of” mental health problems. You can’t just magically think your way out of a mental illness, whether it’s mild or severe.
  2.  If you have a mental illness, you can’t hold down a job . While it’s true that those with a serious mental illness are less likely to be working, many people are able to successfully manage their conditions and find success at work.
  3. Mental health problems breed violence. The vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent.  Although people with severe mental illness are up to three times more likely to be violent than those who are mentally healthy, they contribute to just a small part of violence in society.   And only about 3 to 5 percent of violent acts can be attributed to mental illness. In fact, researchers have found that people with mental illness are about 10 times more likely to be victimized by violence than the general population.
  4. You can’t recover from mental illness.  Many people do make it through mild or moderate episodes of mental illness and never experience them again. Others with more serious conditions are able to successfully control them and live the life they want, just like people with such chronic diseases as diabetes.

Read the full story to debunk these myths and learn this must know information.

 

 

Assisted Outpatient Treatment Services Launches

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Together Towards Recovery

AOT-team

AOT Team:  Terry Wilcox-Rittgers, Carmen Guerridos, Sharon Langtry, Nick Zwerdling, Sahara Lirone (not shown)

Developed out of the County’s adoption of Laura’s Law (Assembly Bill 1421) in the summer of 2015, the Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) is a program that reaches out to people with a severe mental illness who are not connected to services and are challenged with living safely and stably in our community.

The team works collaboratively with individuals, their family members and partners to provide the right care at the right place and right time. Our dedicated team helps decrease mental health crises, hospitalizations, incarceration and homelessness while helping people achieve and maintain their physical and mental health.

San Mateo County’s AOT outreaches to people who are not connected to treatment and engages them in services provided by Caminar’s Full Service Partnership (FSP),  a community based program which provides intensive mental health services.  The program includes 24/7 care and services such as intensive case management, psychiatry, medication management, benefit and housing support, life skill development, as well as guidance and support to help people reach their recovery goals.

Eligibility:

A person must meet all of these conditions to be eligible for AOT: 18 years old and over, seriously mentally ill, and a San Mateo County resident

  • Have a history of not following through with treatment for their mental illness resulting in:
    • having been hospitalized and/or incarcerated two or more times within the last 3 years. Or,
    • having threatened or attempted a significantly dangerous behavior towards themselves or others at least one time in the past 2 years.
  • Were previously offered treatment on a voluntary basis and refused it, and whose health is quickly declining.

Referrals:

Call 650-372-6125 or email AOT@smcgov.org.

Learn more about San Mateo County’s AOT services.

Feds Help County Expand Addiction Services: First Waiver in State to use Federal Dollars for Extended Treatment of Substance Abuse

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San Mateo County is the first in California to receive a waiver from the federal government to expand treatment for individuals on Medi-Cal struggling with drug addiction.

Currently, people with substance use disorders with Medi-Cal health coverage have limited treatment options available, according to a statement by the county Health System’s Behavioral Health and Recovery Services.

Last month, the county was given approval by the state Department of Health Services and federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to create a local “Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System program.

Medi-Cal beneficiaries in need of treatment will be able to access withdrawal management, short-term residential treatment, intensive outpatient, medication assisted treatment, narcotic treatment service, physician consultation and outpatient services, along with case management and recovery support, according to Clara Boyden, the county’s Alcohol and Other Drug Programs manager.

The program will help remove barriers that can discourage people from getting the services they need. When access to care improves, so does the quality of life for those the program will serve, Kaplan said.

– See more at: http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2016-05-13/feds-help-county-expand-addiction-services-first-waiver-in-state-to-use-federal-dollars-for-extended-treatment-of-substance-abuse/1776425163296.html#sthash.XzO74nKX.A0aE78Mp.dpuf

Honoring Our Journey Through The Power of Digital Storytelling

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Witness the stories of courageous individuals and celebrate their recovery journey at Seeing Through Stigma’s Honoring Our Journey Through The Power of Digital Storytelling on May 14 from Noon – 3:00PM. This event is part of Mental Health Awareness Month and will be held at Heart and Soul, Inc (205 Industrial Road, Ste. 205 in San Carlos). For more information, contact Cardum Harmon at cardumh@heartandsoulinc.org.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Join us at one of the Mental Health Awareness events throughout San Mateo County as we stand up and work together to help everyone live a healthy life. Visit http://smchealth.org/bhrs/mentalhealthmonth to view a list of events and their locations.

Honoring the Individual Journey

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Join the Peer Recovery Collaborative as they view digital stories from individuals with lived mental health and substance abuse experiences and discuss what it means “to see beyond diagnosis” and the importance of acknowledging the whole person. Plan to attend this exciting event on Thursday, May 12 from 1:00 – 3:00PM at the San Mateo Public Library (55 W 3rd Avenue in San Mateo).

For more information about this event, visit http://bit.ly/23FvUzI.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services is raising awareness about the important role mental health plays in our lives and encouraging members of the community to learn more about their own mental health and to take action if they are experiencing symptoms of a mental illness. Find out about the Mental Health Awareness Month events happening this month at http://smchealth.org/bhrs/mentalhealthmonth.

Caminar for Mental Health Receives Grant from the Peninsula Health Care District

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Caminar received a $1.9 million grant from the Peninsula Health Care District’s (PHCD) Community Grants Program to support their Bridges to Wellness, a program that integrates primary and behavioral health care services while reducing preventable medical conditions and improving health outcomes.

Bridges to Wellness (BTW) offers a unique, integrated approach to primary and behavioral health care services for adults suffering from severe mental illness and chronic health conditions. BTW helps this vulnerable population prevent, reduce and manage their chronic health conditions through the adoption of healthier lifestyle choices related to diet, physical activity, and substance abuse. Being diagnosed with both mental illness and chronic medical conditions, these clients face exceptionally challenging obstacles in managing their mental and physical health. BTW is able to provide the specialized attention necessary to improve clients’ overall health and prevent health issues. The program empowers participants to make positive, life-long changes to improve their overall mental and physical health, and to prevent the onset or worsening of chronic conditions.  See the entire  press release.

County continues rehab contracts: Six providers to receive nearly $10.8 million for substance use treatment

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The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors is set Tuesday to approve contracts totaling about $10.8 million to six nonprofit agencies that provide substance abuse treatment.

Although the county has a continuing resolution with the agencies to fund their services, approval of the contracts was on hold as officials have awaited word on a waiver that would give nonprofits the ability to draw upon federal funds to provide expanded substance abuse treatment.

The nonprofits had no disruption in payments, however, and the county just submitted a plan to the state Department of Health Care Services Nov. 30 on how local agencies would use Medicaid and Medi-Cal dollars to provide substance abuse treatment to a “larger eligibility pool,” Steve Kaplan, director of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, said Monday.

Currently, Medi-Cal restricts the types of services that may be provided to claim federal participation, Kaplan said.

Once the waiver is approved, Medi-Cal eligible individuals will have access to a rich array of services, he said.

It will also increase the eligibility pool to access services, he said.

Read the full story in The Daily Journal.

Transforming Substance Use Treatment

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This past August, the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) received approval from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, of their application to implement the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) plan. The DMC-ODS expands the types of treatment available to Medi-Cal beneficiaries and for Federal reimbursement.

Medi-Cal beneficiaries will have access to a full continuum of services including: residential detox, residential treatment, intensive outpatient, outpatient, case management, recovery supports and more.

Counties have the option of “opting in” to implement the DMC-ODS or just offer the traditional and very limited benefits. For those counties opting in, they are required to submit an Implementation Plan to DHCS for review and approval. I am pleased to announce that BHRS, on November 20th submitted its Implementation Plan to DHCS.

There are several steps after we receive approval before the expanded services will be available to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Our contract with DHCS will need our Board of Supervisors approval, contracts with our providers will need to be amended and approved by the Board, and staff and providers will need to be trained on key requirements of our plan.

I want to thank our BHRS staff and providers for their contributions to this plan. As we anxiously await approval from DHCS we are excited about what the future holds for providing the highest quality treatment and recovery supports for those struggling with substance use challenges.

Autism Services Now Available

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Did you know that autism benefits are now available for Medi-Cal covered families?  Families, pediatricians and providers can call the BHRS ACCESS Call Center at: 1-800-686-0101 and request autism related services to get started today. (Please have documents that indicate diagnosis ready).

 

Patrick Kennedy: After Roseburg, face up to mental illness, addiction

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 “Mental illness and substance abuse haunts every family. We must recognize that reality before we can overcome it” says Patrick Kennedy as he shares how his father, Sen. Ted Kennedy “really didn’t get it – at least not when it came to our own family.”    Kennedy discusses the need to address mental illness and addiction through improving diagnosis, treatment and prevention, and to “challenge discrimination against these diseases and the people who have them, at a very private level.”  See story on USA Today.

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