Services will be provided on several levels with the goal of identification of behavioral health issues, which will empower the community to assist in providing necessary support structures.
Steps will include:
Identification, initial assessment, and basic treatment by the primary care physician.
Severe cases would also be referred for psychiatric assistance, mental health services, or the Developmental Disabilities Administration.
Behavioral Assessment will be referred in-house and could include completion of a functional behavior analysis and the development of behavior programs when appropriate.
Individual and group behavior therapy will be available to assist with skill building for both the identified individual and their support system.
Group therapy will focus on establishing a Circle of Friends system which allows the identified individual to draw on supports within their individually developed group. That group would include peers, mentors, supports from within the community, as well people from all walks of life who could assist with that person’s identified goals and future.
What is Behavioral Health?
“Behavioral health” and “mental health” are often used interchangeably, but there are some distinct differences. Behavioral health focuses on how habits are affecting overall physical and mental well-being. On the other hand, mental health is one area of behavioral health and can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as biology, psychological state, and habits. Behavioral health is designed to be more inclusive and incorporate more of the challenges that people face. Both fields, however, also go hand-in-hand in that a person might need to tap into behavioral health benefits, but what they might specifically need is help managing depression or help with a substance abuse issue, which fall under mental health.
Behavioral health services are designed to treat the underlying cause(s) of a specific behavior. For example, in the field of suicide prevention, the practitioner won’t only want to prevent the behaviors that may result in suicide, but also to understand the underlying causes of those behaviors to help the patient in the long term. There are many specialists within behavioral health, including psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, and licensed professional counselors. The types of issues a patient is dealing with—i.e. depression, anxiety, diabetes management, weight loss, drinking, drug use, marriage issues, psychiatric issues—can help determine which type of healthcare provider and service is most relevant.
Why Behavioral Health?
Many people are struggling with issues that fall under the behavioral health category. Some dealing with issues such as mental health challenges aren’t getting the treatment required, or they lack the necessary resources. For example, an estimated 44 million adults are living with mental illness – yet only 40 percent are actively receiving treatment.
There is also a growing amount of research suggesting that behavioral health and physical health are closely related. Sixty-eight percent of adults with mental health disorders also struggle with medical conditions. Some of these conditions are chronic, and the cost of managing these conditions is high. The cost of managing the physical health of a patient with an underlying behavioral issue is estimated to be three times more than that of a patient without these challenges.
