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In this paper we introduce the Intensive Mobile Treatment (IMT) model, which arose from a 2016 New York City initiative to engage individuals who were "falling through the cracks" of the mental health, housing, and criminal justice systems. People who are referred to IMT often have extensive histories of trauma. They experience structural racism and discrimination within systems and thus can present as distrustful of treatment teams. We detail the structure of the program as we practice it at our non-profit agency and outline the psychodynamic concepts that inform our work with challenging populations. We acknowledge IMT's role in engaging in advocacy and addressing social justice in our work. We also discuss how through this model we are able to both mitigate and tolerate risk in participants with difficult-to-manage behaviors. This is typically a long-term, non-linear process. We address how this impacts the team dynamic as a whole and explain how with long-term, trusting therapeutic relationships, participants can change and grow over time. We also explain the ways in which our non-billing model plays an integral role in the treatment we are able to provide and identify several challenges and areas for program growth. In outlining our model and its methodology, we hope to empower other practitioners to adapt IMT to other settings beyond the New York City area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Weill Cornell Medicine Wellness Qlinic (Wellness Qlinic) is a student-run mental health clinic serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ +) community in New York City. Student-run clinics have successfully provided primary care to underserved communities experiencing barriers to accessing health care. Psychiatric evaluation and medication management have also been implemented in several student-run clinics, but providing sustainable psychotherapy services has been a challenge. In this paper, we present a student-run mental health program incorporating interdisciplinary trainees to provide robust short-term psychiatric treatment, including individual psychotherapy, medication management, and group therapy. Results of a chart-review study to evaluate patient engagement and treatment outcomes are presented. The Wellness Qlinic's treatment model resulted in 90% patient retention and positive clinical outcomes for patients while addressing an education and training gap in LGBTQ + mental health for multidisciplinary mental health care providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a qualitative content analysis of survey data collected from behavioral health care providers from throughout New York regarding the challenges faced as a result of COVID-19. Survey responses from 295 agency and program administrators and staff, representing 238 organizations, were analyzed. Ten themes were identified: business operations, service provision, telehealth, safety, client concerns, staff concerns, supplies, technology, illness/grief/loss, and communication. These themes represent concerns that arose from the rapid transition to widespread use of telehealth, limited technology accessibility for both staff and clients, reduced revenue and billing changes, impact of COVID-19 infection itself and subsequent deaths of clients and staff, and necessary modifications for organizational communication both internally and externally. The implications of these challenges and the need for further research to identify how to best address them are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper evaluates psychiatric needs of voluntary admissions in a large urban psychiatric hospital through a retrospective chart review, as this research is limited within the United States. A total of 581 voluntary adult psychiatric admission charts were reviewed. Continuous variables were evaluated using an ANOVA while associations between variables were examined by an unadjusted Pearson correlation coefficient a stepwise linear regression analysis. Men were significantly more likely to have a past admission for psychiatric services (p =.016), suicidal ideation (p <.001) and test positive for substances (p <.001) than women, and were more likely to be unemployed, homeless and without insurance. Women were more likely to have a past suicide attempt and a depressive disorder. A significant relationship between gender and rationale for seeking voluntary admission (p <.001) was found. This study offers understanding of male and female voluntary admissions, and a foundation for improving treatment interventions to reduce recurrent readmissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental health and suicide are serious concerns in the U.S. Though many adults report struggling with their mental health, a significant proportion do not receive care for various reasons including stigma, limited availability, long wait times, inability to pay, and a lack of culturally appropriate options. Helplines can be used to fill gaps in care and, though currently underutilized, are a significant focus of the federal government in the implementation of 988. To better understand the factors that facilitate and impede the utilization of helplines, we conducted 14 focus groups with 95 college students attending a public university and two private colleges in upstate New York between April 2019 and October 2020. Participants included undergraduates, graduate students, LGBTQIA + students, student-athletes, and international students. Participants shared several reasons for using helplines including convenience, comfort, immediate support, and privacy and anonymity. On the other hand, participants expressed hesitation as they expected ingenuine interactions with operators and a lack of continuity, they feared police involvement, and they felt that helplines are not for them, as they are marketed for those in a mental health or suicide crisis and their issues are not that severe. LGBTQIA + participants provided additional reasons as to why they use and do not use LGBTQIA+-specific helplines. Together, our findings suggest the need for improved education, marketing, and training around helplines and may be used to inform the implementation and promotion of 988 in its early stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several states have implemented evidence-based treatment policies and programs to improve the quality of care within mental health treatment settings. Workforce development has been identified as critical to sustaining the implementation of evidence-based practices within the behavioral health workforce. This paper describes the key components of a statewide educational model within social work implemented in New York State to promote improved client outcomes for individuals diagnosed with serious mental illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LGBTQ+ individuals experience health care disparities and difficulty accessing affirming care. Little is known regarding the health and experiences among subpopulations of specific sexual orientations and gender identities (SOGI). We implemented the first LGBTQ + health needs assessment survey in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York, to assess individuals' health care experiences, behaviors, access to care, and health care needs. The sample (N = 1150) consisted of many SOGI subgroups. Greater than 60% of respondents reported symptoms of chronic depression; over one third reported disrespectful health care experiences; and two thirds experienced verbal harassment. Bisexual/bicurious, pansexual, queer, gender nonconforming and transgender individuals experienced highest rates of mental health concerns and difficulty accessing care. Behavioral health concerns were also high among Black, multiracial, Hispanic, Asian, young adult, and lower-income respondents. Gaining an understanding of unique differences among LGBTQ+ subgroups can guide implementation of services targeting specific subpopulations to improve access to care and reduce disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UJA Covid-19 Jewish Impact Study constitutes a random sample of 4403 adults in Jewish households in the New York area. Collected between February and May 2021, the data include symptoms of depression and anxiety and the use of professional help. Via respondents' zip code tabulation areas (ZCTAs), these data are linked to contextual measures of mental health care access from two data sources: the SAMHSA Locator on specialty community treatment clinics, and the Zip Code Business Patterns database on solo and small group practices. Both treatment facilities and office practices are added to multilevel logistic regression models as density rates (per 10,000 people) and as binary indicators of presence. While we find no meaningful relationship between the general presence of mental health care services and help-seeking behavior, the ZCTA-level density of office practices is significantly associated with service utilization among the socially isolated, foreign-born and Hispanics or non-white respondents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adapted Andersen’s Health Belief Model to examine the predictors of mental health services utilization among Korean American (KA) immigrants. A cross-sectional survey was used to gather data on 363 KA immigrants 18 years and older residing in New York City. Predisposing factors included gender, age, marital status, education, length of stay in the US, and religion; the need factor was depression; and enabling factors included health insurance, English proficiency, income, and perceived need for help. Approximately 8.5 % of participants reported having utilized mental health services, while 23 % reported having depressive symptoms. Shorter duration of residence in the US, lower income, and the presence of perceived need for help were significantly related to use of mental health services. The perceived need for help mediated the relationship between depression and mental health service utilization. Failure to perceive the need for psychological help continues to be a major reason that KA immigrants do not use mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary care practices are in great need of practical guidance on the steps they can take to build behavioral health integration (BHI) capacities, particularly for smaller practice settings with fewer resources. 11 small primary care sites (≤ 5 providers) throughout New York State utilized a continuum framework of core components of BHI in combination with technical assistance. Surveys were collected at baseline, 6-months, and 12-months. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted during site visits, and a stakeholder roundtable was facilitated to address broader themes. Data were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. Practices reported successful engagement with the framework and actively participated in planning and advancing BHI operations. Greater success was observed in practices with existing on-site BHI services, identified champions for BHI, early and sustained training and involvement of providers and administrators, use of collaborative agreements with external behavioral health providers, and capacity to successfully receive reimbursements for BHI services. Advancing health information technologies was a challenge across sites. Financing and policy factors were viewed as critically important to advance integration efforts. The pilot of a continuum framework offers lessons for primary care practices and policymakers to advance integrated BH care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Many governments have publicly released healthcare data, which can be mined for insights about disease conditions, and their impact on society. Methods: We present a big-data analytics approach to investigate data in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) consisting of 20 million patient records. Findings: Whereas the age group 30–48 years exhibited an 18% decline in mental health (MH) disorders from 2009 to 2016, the age group 0–17 years showed a 5.4% increase. MH issues amongst the age group 0–17 years comprise a significant expenditure in New York State. Within this age group, we find a higher prevalence of MH disorders in females and minority populations. Westchester County has seen a 32% increase in incidences and a 41% increase in costs. Conclusions: Our approach is scalable to data from multiple government agencies and provides an independent perspective on health care issues, which can prove valuable to policy and decision-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by the principles of Open Dialogue and Intentional Peer Support (IPS), Parachute NYC was designed to provide a "soft landing" for people experiencing psychiatric crisis. From 2012 to 2018, Parachute's teams of clinicians and peer specialists provided home-based mental health care to enrollees and their networks (family, friends), seeking to engage and improve their natural support networks. This qualitative study examined the experiences of enrollees and network members who participated in Parachute. Participants reported that they valued the accessibility and flexibility of Parachute as well as their relationships with, and the lack of hierarchy within, the Parachute team. Responses to the structure of network meetings and Parachute's approach to medication were mixed, with a few participants struggling with what they felt was a lack of urgency and others experiencing the approach as holistic. Many enrollees and network members reported that Parachute improved their self-understanding and relationships with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of disaster survivors suffering from psychiatric disorders do not utilize mental health services. Only one study to date has explored postdisaster service use after Hurricane Sandy, and the disaster literature is further limited by a lack of attention to survivors' perceived need for services. We drew on data from a population-based sample of adults living in New York City neighborhoods that were most severely affected by Hurricane Sandy ( N = 454). Less than 10 % of participants reported service needs (7.8 %) and service use (4.4 %) since the hurricane, 5.9 % were classified as having unmet needs (i.e., needs without use), and 2.5 % as using services without needs. Predictors of unmet mental health service needs included younger age, male gender, higher education, and exposure to more disaster-related stressors. The results suggest that efforts to reduce unmet postdisaster service needs could focus on reaching survivors with these characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to identify clinical strategies and challenges around transition from Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) to less intensive services. Six focus groups were conducted with ACT team leaders (n = 49). Themes were grouped under four intervention-focused domains: (1) client/clinical, (2) family and natural supports, (3) ACT staff and team, and (4) public mental health system. Barriers to transition included beliefs that clients and families would not want to terminate services (due to loss of relationships, fear of failure, preference for ACT model), clinical concerns that transition would not be successful (due to limited client skills, relapse without ACT support), systems challenges (clinic waiting lists, transportation barriers, eligibility restrictions, stigma against ACT clients), and staff ambivalence (loss of relationship with client, impact on caseload). Strategies to support transition included building skills for transition, engaging supports, celebrating success, enhanced coordination with new providers, and integrating and structuring transition in ACT routines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wraparound care coordination has offered an individualized family approach to providing services to families in our county for the past decade. Instigated by our county mental health department interested in providing quality improvements to mental health services for families, we assessed the wraparound care coordination process through use of the Wraparound Fidelity Index (WFI), which measures adherence to established principles of wraparound. This article reports on findings from WFI data collected over three summers and reported back to the management team and family organization. Improvements were decided through consensus and included recommendations of parents and care coordinators. The goal of our study was to identify which activities and supports of wraparound were in need of improvement, enact quality improvements to address these areas and determine whether we were doing a better job over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to peer advocates is increasingly available to youth and their caregivers who are receiving services in the public mental health system. This study examines associations between reported access to a youth or family advocate and perceptions of satisfaction with mental health services. A cross-sectional survey of youth (N = 768) and caregivers (N = 1,231) who utilized public mental health services in New York State in 2012 was conducted. The survey includes items on access to youth or family advocates and degree of satisfaction with mental health services. A greater proportion of youth or caregivers with access to peer advocates compared to those without access responded positively on the satisfaction domains of access to services, appropriateness of services, participation in services and overall/global satisfaction. Access to peer advocates was also positively associated with agreement on the psychotropic medication comprehension domain for youth and on perceptions of child functioning and social connectedness for caregivers compared to those without access. This study adds to the growing understanding of the important role peer advocates play in engaging youth with mental health needs and their caregivers in mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol and drug use are commonly associated with the experience of homelessness. In order to better understand this, we explored the prevalence of drug and alcohol use as it related to successful re-housing within a sample of first-time single homeless adults at municipal shelters. From within this sample, we compared the features of recurrent homelessness with those of chronic homelessness and of being stably housed. We interviewed 344 subjects upon shelter entry and followed each one every six months for 18 months using standardized social and mental health measures. We analyzed baseline assessments relative to housing experiences during follow-up using Chi square and multinomial logistic regression. Eighty-one percent (N = 278) obtained housing over 18 months, of which 23.7 % (N = 66) experienced homelessness again. Recurrent homelessness was more common among those with a high school education and if initially re-housed with family. Bivariate analysis resulted in the observation of the highest rate of alcohol and other drug use among this recurrent group and multinomial logistic regression supported this only with the coupling of arrest history and diagnosed antisocial personality disorder. With relatively high rates of recurrent homelessness, there were differences between subjects who experienced recurrent homelessness compared to those who were stably housed and with chronic homelessness. That alcohol and other substance use disorders were associated with recurrent homelessness only if they were linked to other risk factors highlights the complexity of causes for homelessness and a resultant need to organize them into constellations of causal risk factors. Consistent with this, there should be initiatives that span bureaucratic boundaries so as to flexibly meet multiple complex service needs, thus improving outcomes concerning episodes of recurrent homelessness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken among Latinos receiving treatment from a community mental health center in New York City. The primary mental health concern was schizophrenia. We conducted three focus groups and present the viewpoints of consumers, family members, and providers. Using qualitative content analysis we identified four predominant categories: (1) the importance of family ties; (2) stigma about mental illness; (3) respect and trust in interpersonal relationships; and (4) facilitators and barriers to implementing Family Psychoeducation. Analysis of transcripts revealed specific subthemes for each category. Implications for imparting culturally sensitive material into mental health services for Latinos are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of research on reactions to smoking bans in psychiatric facilities focuses on staff feedback in acute inpatient settings. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess inpatient attitudes about a complete smoking ban in an intermediate to long-term psychiatric facility. One hundred inpatients were surveyed via questionnaire. Inpatients reported changes in smoking and improvements in health as a result of the ban, despite evidence of non-compliant smoking at the facility. There was evidence that inpatients perceived others' attitudes about the ban to be worse than reality. The findings from this pilot study suggest that consequences of smoking bans in psychiatric facilities are not as negative as some perceive. Smoking bans in intermediate to long-term settings may result in improvements in health among both smoking and non-smoking patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the efficacy of a gender-specific intervention to reduce sexual risk behaviors by introducing female-initiated methods to urban women with severe mental illness. Seventy-nine women received 10 sessions of an HIV prevention intervention or a control intervention. The primary outcome was unprotected oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse, expressed using the Vaginal Episode Equivalent (VEE) score. Knowledge and use of the female condom were also assessed. Women in the HIV prevention intervention showed a three-fold reduction in the VEE score at the 3-month follow-up compared to the control group, but the difference was not significant. These women were significantly more likely to know about female condoms, have inserted one and used it with a sexual partner at the 3-month follow-up and to have inserted it at 6 months compared to controls. The female condom may be a useful addition, for a subset of women with SMI, to comprehensive HIV prevention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the involvement of mental health service consumers in the provision of mental health services in New York. Relationship between consumer and non-consumer staff; Nature of mental illness; Advantages of peer service delivery.