MHP is not only adding more providers and additional resources for patients needing mental and behavioral health care, but MHP has made it a priority to provide the best care they can in the best ways possible!
We now have nineteen behavioral health providers, in comparison to the seven on staff in 2022, thereby improving access and shorter wait times for appointments. This has allowed us to add some uniquely helpful features to better our care.
The first feature we have added to our toolbelt is a team of eight behavioral health providers that are embedded in the Primary & Specialty Care office, the Pediatrics office, and the Oncology Department. What does that mean for you? It means that if you are at a visit with your primary care provider, your child’s primary care provider, or the oncology department, and you say, for example “I’m having some trouble handling stress,” or “I’m having some trouble dealing with the death of someone close to me,” or any other mental health issue, you have the potential to speak with a mental health provider right then. In times of real crisis, this can be lifesaving! At the very least, it is a more convenient way to get started with your care. Additionally, it’s comforting to know that behavioral health care is easily within your reach and that you can start with a provider you already know and trust while they are also a part of your current medical team.
Our second new feature is that MHP is one of the first providers in Indiana to utilize TOP (Treatment, Outcome, Package assessment tool). TOP assesses the patient across twelve behavioral health dimensions. This means you can be matched to the provider who has the best skill set for you, not just the first open appointment. After a few sessions, TOP can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of your treatment, which is a rare capability in behavioral healthcare. With TOP, we can effectively provide care that will make a difference for you.
Lastly, MHP has an intensive outpatient substance use disorder program up and running. This program is currently three hours, two days a week, and supplemented with individual counseling. Eventually it will move to three hours, three days a week. It is intended as a step-down from inpatient SUD treatment or rehabilitation and eases the transition back into the hustle of daily life. It is a program that can help with treatment success while getting people back into society with fewer issues and with the tools to help themselves.
Following the three initiatives listed above to provide better care, we are excited to share more advances including the first group therapy sessions for teenagers in late 2023, with plans underway for more in 2024. Staff also visit the Boys and Girls Club of Shelby County twice a week to work with the children and staff there. MHP is also collaborating with the justice system in Shelby County to divert people with behavioral health issues away from the justice system or incarceration and into appropriate behavioral health treatment. Lastly, MHP is also involved in the development of CIT, Crisis Intervention Teams. This involves training for first responders, as many of their calls are for mental health issues. Effective training will help those calls lead to better outcomes.
MHP is not only adding more, but we are doing it better! We will continue to strive to improve the mental and behavioral health of all citizens in the community by employing caring staff, using thoughtful planning, and always reaching for excellence in the care we provide.