142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

306412
Florida's Behavioral Health Capacity Project: Increasing Access to Pediatric Care

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 : 11:10 AM - 11:30 AM

Glenn Rohrer, Ph.D., LCSW , Department of Social Work, University of West Florid, Pensacola, FL
In response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the Mental and Behavioral Health Capacity Project in Florida (MBHCP-FL) partnered with pediatric affiliates of Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs) and schools to integrate mental and behavioral health (MBH) social work services. This presentation will (i) define the role of pediatric social work within FQHCs and (ii) demonstrate collaboration with schools in order to provide parents with best practices for management of their children’s behaviors.

 Methods: Utilizing a collaborative model, MBHCP-FL placed a licensed clinical social worker, a registered clinical social worker, and advanced standing "field placement" MSW students at pediatric clinics in FQHCs. On-site, clinicians are available for warm hand-offs, immediate consultation with the physician when needed, as well as on-going therapy. In addition, a protocol has been implemented that guides patients to a social worker prior to seeing the physician. This social worker initiates assessment with the parents and schools to provide additional information that aids in establishing a diagnosis and treatment plan. Early numbers show that approximately 250 clients have been referred to MBH clinicians in a 16-month period at two different pediatric sites.

 Results: Preliminary data show that the majority of cases referred have a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Other diagnoses include: Oppositional Defiant Disorders, Learning Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Adjustment Disorders.

 Conclusions: Integration provides MBH services to a previously underserved population, while allowing innovative training for social work students.  Collaboration with both FQHCS and schools provides comprehensive MBH support to children and parents.

Learning Areas:

Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe strategies to effectively integrate mental and behavioral health in FQHC’s pediatric affiliate clinics. Explain how staff employed by integrated mental and behavioral health services can collaborate with schools and parents to provide information that will result in accurate diagnoses and treatment in a FQHC environment.

Keyword(s): Mental Health System, Community-Based Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As Director of the Mental and Behavioral Health Capacity Project of Florida, I play a key role in project coordination, implementation, and research. Evaluation and research of behavioral health care issues has been an ongoing initiative of mine. I have been working with the MBHCP-FL project since its inception and will continue to work to ensure its efficacy of integrating community based mental and behavioral health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.