As our health system continues to change for both primary and behavioral healthcare, a lot of discussion is taking place about the collaboration and integration of these two systems. As with any change, a method for evaluating and determining what works best is always one...
Mental healthcare is a booming business. It is also unique because discussions about profit, using the word "sales", and the downsides of this industry are rarely, if ever, spoken about. It's time to start! Sit back, relax, and listen as co-hosts Dave Ballenberger, MSW, and Kristin...
Value-based care is a reality that service providers are going to have to deal with over the next two years. For behavioral health, it will bring some large and significant changes on how care is provided and paid for. But in primary care, value-based care...
Methadone maintenance has been used in the United States for approximately 50 years as an effective treatment for opioid addiction. Yet many myths about its use persist, discouraging patients from using methadone, and leading family members to pressure patients using the treatment to stop. Dr. Vincent...
Addiction is a complex but treatable disease that affects brain function and behavior. Drugs of abuse alter the brain’s structure and function, resulting in changes that persist long after drug use has ceased. This may explain why drug abusers are at risk for relapse even after...
Walmart has become the first employer to use data to rate providers’ effectiveness and value. They evaluate how many patients a physician has cared for, or how much experience they have in a specific method of treatment, then they use the data to reduce costs...
Gone are the days when keeping patient records and maintaining appointment schedules is done on paper. The advancements in software technology have transformed the way programs maintain their clinical records, scheduling, and billing. Substance abuse clinical management systems offer services that are innovative and widely used....
Back when I was the director of a large psychiatric rehabilitation program, I really could have used the data that can be collected on an interactive EHR dashboard. The dashboard would have provided me with real time patient data about the quality of care being...
Social media marketing for health care? Using social media marketing for health care has it's challenges - but it also has its benefits. In this episode of the Bu$iness of Mental Health Podcast, hear marketing experts explore the use of social media marketing for behavioral health...
Evidence-based collaborative care programs are patient-centered and provide integrated care for medical and mental health needs in primary care and other mental health settings. Over 30 studies have found such programs to be more effective than usual care of for mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. Offering mental...
Those of us who work in behavioral health know that being able to manage system change is simply a part of the job. In those years when we did everything on paper, the changes were often administrative, and had little to do with our clinical...
Often when people discuss methadone as a viable treatment option, you get a lot of myth mixed in with the truth, because everything you hear is not based on fact. Methadone is one option for the treatment of opiate addiction. As with many treatments in the...
A lot of discussion that takes place around electronic health records is rarely about the system’s ability to provide marketing tools. Often, the discussion centers on the clinical abilities of the software, billing, and ease of use. Any system that is gathering data should be...
When choosing an EHR, much of the discussion surrounds how it will benefit the organization. But what does a Behavioral Health EHR provide for the patient? Improved behavioral health care. EHRs help staff make the best clinical decisions about how to treat patients. For example, treatment plans will...
Dave Ballenberger discusses the advantages and benefits that digital pen technology can provide your behavioral health organization when your clinicians are with clients outside of the office. Patient information is the crux of any treatment plan in the behavioral health sector. As technology advances, paper to...
Can your Electronic Health Record add, subtract, multiply and divide? I can remember standing at the back of the room waiting for Sister Theresa to give me a math problem that I would have to figure it out before I got to the front of the...
Why are client portals more important than you think? Client portals create the means for the exchange of information between clients and clinicians. What was once considered a nice option for your EHR is becoming a necessity, however, not all portals offer the same features. It...
Have you ever tried to back up EHR clinical data? If so, you know that it's difficult to do because backup often has to be started manually, and it's dependent on a server that can go down when power is lost. So what do you...