Take action to reduce ‘self-stigma’
When it comes to behavioral health care, the term “stigma” is often used to describe the shame or embarrassment some people feel about mental illness.
Therefore, addressing stigma is important because the very concept of shame makes it difficult for many individuals with mental illness to seek help.
Health and wellness: Is zip code more important than genetic code?
The evidence exceeds the tipping point – that point where compelling ideas by necessity transform into action.
The evidence? Unmet social needs significantly impact our health, especially our emotional well-being. In fact, it is often said that zip code is more important than genetic code in determining overall health and wellness.
Minority mental health: What can we do together?
Recognizing July as Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, there is no more appropriate time to talk about mental health disparities among minorities.
People of color continue to experience inequitable mental health care, and the solution to closing the gap is long overdue.
Cultural competency can help improve health equity
When we think of a visit to the doctor or a mental health specialist, a common experience emerges.
In the case of the doctor, questions are asked, knees are tapped, hearts are listened to, and height and weight are measured. With a mental health clinician, questions are asked, questions are answered, and a meaningful conversation ensues.
Health equity: When equality is not good enough
When discussing public health, we often hear the terms “health equity”, “health equality” and “health inequality”, but what do they really mean?
What are the subtle variances in meaning, and why is it important to understand these differences?
Beacon expands into Florida as a Project ECHO hub
Beacon Health Options has an important new partnership in Florida: Beacon is serving as a Project ECHO hub to train practitioners on medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for treating opioid use disorder (OUD).
With a live hub in New York and one successfully completed in Connecticut, Beacon is the first managed behavioral health organization to become an official partner of Project ECHO.
Enhance behavioral health crisis systems to improve health, reduce costs
People with mental health and substance use disorder challenges are using emergency department (ED) services more frequently than in prior years.
From 2006 to 2013, there has been a 52 percent increase in ED utilization by people with serious mental illness (SMI).
A pandemic and trauma: Helping those who are helping others
The story of the New York City ER doctor who died by suicide has highlighted the stress frontline healthcare workers are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr.Lorna Breen did not have a history of mental illness, according to her father, but after caring for patients and contracting the disease herself only to return to caring for patients, it all became too much.
Mental health and wellbeing: Knowing when to help a loved one
The fear of the unknown. It’s a phrase we’ve all used, but during today’s COVID-19 pandemic, it’s a term that has adopted real meaning as none of us can be sure what the future holds.
We are living a true day-by-day existence, which runs counter to the human instinct to anticipate and plan.
COVID-19 stress: It’s Ok to ask for help
COVID-19 will forever be remembered for quarantining, working from home and generally isolating from the world.
Today, many of us sit in our homes, at our computers, with children to be educated, pets to be soothed and chaos to be tolerated.