baylor scott & white health Health Care Reimagined mental health: a primary care
Anxiety, depression, substance use and other mental health problems can seriously affect physical health, especially when the underlying issues are not addressed. With Texas facing a severe shortage of mental health professionals, many adults don’ t have access to care for their mental health problems. That makes the family physician’ s office the front line of defense against mental illness.
Baylor Scott & White Health brings licensed clinical social workers and community health workers into community clinics to strengthen that front line. The community clinics serve low-income and underinsured or uninsured residents, the patients most likely to need help getting mental health services.
Trained social workers such as Rita Smith and Susan Clark screen patients to identify those with mental health issues, coordinate their care on the spot and determine if those issues may interfere with managing their physical health. Pam Davis, manager of behavioral health social work, said they also provide individualized therapy and help patients connect to community resources that address non-medical needs, such as transportation or sufficient nutrition, which can affect the healing process.
Treating mental illness at the primary care doctor’ s office reduces stigma, offers patient-centered convenience and allows clinicians to provide comprehensive care in a familiar environment. By integrating services for mental disorders— which have become the costliest conditions to treat in the U. S.— in community clinics, Baylor Scott & White also makes better use of health care resources and reduces the cost of care. More important, it helps patients get healthier and stay healthier.
The mind-body connection means that poor emotional health can weaken the immune system and make it more difficult to battle physical ailments. Offering mental health services in a physician’ s office provides patients access to the help they need, minimizes the stigma patients may feel and improves the chances of better health outcomes.
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