Four Outstanding Mental Health Programs To Be Honored at IPS: The Mental Health Services Conference

Oct 06, 2015

ARLINGTON, Va. — The American Psychiatric Association today will recognize four outstanding mental health programs with Psychiatric Services Achievement Awards at the 2015 IPS: The Mental Health Services Conference. The top award winners are the Missouri Community Mental Health Center Health Home Program and the Sexual Behaviours Clinic in Ottawa, Canada.

The awards recognize innovative programs offering services to people with mental illnesses or disabilities that can serve as models for other programs. They will be presented at the Opening Session of the conference at the Sheraton New York Times Square on Oct. 8, noon – 1:30 p.m. Several of the award winners will discuss their programs at a special session from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Brief descriptions of the award-winning programs are provided below and detailed descriptions are presented in the October issue of Psychiatric Services.

Sexual Behaviours Clinic, Ottawa, Ontario
Gold Achievement Award – Academically/Institutionally Sponsored Program

In recognition of its commitment to improving community safety by providing treatment to a highly marginalized clinical population, the Sexual Behaviours Clinic (SBC) was selected to receive APA’s 2015 Gold Achievement Award in the category of academically or institutionally sponsored programs. Through a combination of medications and psychotherapy, SBC’s pioneering treatment program for sex offenders has achieved remarkable success, lowering recidivism rates to near zero. Treatment is provided by a multidisciplinary team. To help ex-offenders avoid falling back into old patterns, the SBC has developed partnerships with community organizations. More information.

Missouri Community Mental Health Center Health Home Program, Jefferson City, Mo.
Gold Achievement Award – Community-Based Program

In recognition of its leadership in establishing “health homes” to provide integrated care to its clients and demonstrating dramatic improvement in health outcomes and reduced costs of care, Missouri’s Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) Health Home Program was selected to receive APA’s Gold Achievement Award for community-based programs. Missouri’s Department of Mental Health collaborated with the state’s Medicaid system (MO HealthNet) and community mental health system to establish “health homes” throughout the state’s 29 CMHCs. This allows Medicaid enrollees to receive mental health care and primary care for targeted medical conditions. Clients receive annual screening, social and functional skills training, and treatment planning. After the first year, the program resulted in $31 million in Medicaid savings and significantly improved health outcomes. More information.

Mental Health Association of East Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.
Silver Achievement Award

In recognition of its integrated outreach programs that provide prevention and early intervention for thousands of students annually, the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee (MHAET) was selected to receive APA’s 2015 Silver Achievement Award. For 15 years, MHAET has worked in schools to help ensure prevention, early recognition, and treatment of mental health problems. The programs reach both students and teachers: Mental Health 101 for middle and high school students and training for teachers, including Typical or Troubled?, a program of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation. In the 2014–2015 school year, these programs had a direct impact on nearly 24,000 students in 83 schools in eastern Tennessee. More information.

SUSTAIN - Supporting Seniors receiving Treatment And INtervention , Philadelphia, Pa.
Bronze Achievement Award

In recognition of its innovative approach to large-scale dissemination of collaborative care for low-income seniors, SUSTAIN (SUpporting Seniors receiving Treatment And INtervention) was selected to receive APA’s 2015 Bronze Achievement Award. SUSTAIN, a private-public partnership of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging and the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Psychiatry, identifies elders at risk of poor health outcomes, including nursing home admission, and supports them and their primary care prescribers in managing their mental health care. Since 2010, SUSTAIN staff have engaged more than 4,500 patients and family caregivers in a range of behavioral health services. More information.

Certificates of Achievement

This year two additional programs are being recognized with Certificates of Significant Achievement:

• CHARG Resource Center Heartland Clinic, Denver, Colo.
• St Luke’s Behavioral Health Clinic – Twin Falls Campus, part of St. Luke’s Healthcare System, Boise, Idaho

The winning programs were selected by the Psychiatric Services Achievement Awards Committee, chaired by Christina J. Arredondo, M.D., and the award program is supported by the APA.

The American Psychiatric Association is a national medical specialty society whose more than 36,000 physician members specialize in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and research of mental illnesses, including substance use disorders. Visit the APA at psychiatry.org.

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