Inaugural provider fair connects social service agencies to Burrell, Clarity Health Care
Burrell Behavioral Health and Clarity Health Care, in an effort to bridge service gaps, did something unique this week to highlight their programs.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and to kick off the monthlong event, Burrell and Clarity, under the Brightli umbrella, hosted an inaugural provider fair Tuesday for other social service providers, such as Voluntary Action Center or Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services. Both Burrell and Clarity plan to hold the event yearly.
While Burrell and Clarity provide programs for mental health and physical health, respectively, there are several initiatives under both those umbrellas, noted Mat Gass, Brightli central region president.
"Mental health is more of a focus today than it ever has been in the course of my lifetime, but there still are questions about how do you get access to care," he said. "... The fair is about making sure people who are in the work trying to find resources and services for those they take care of and have the access they need."
Gass at one point worked cases as a licensed clinical social worker and when trying to make referrals there were service gaps.
"We just wanted to bring everybody together in a convenient way to be able to talk about the services that maybe somebody doesn't know are available in the community," he said.
So, Burrell and Clarity staff were on hand in the event space at 404 Portland Street near Burrell's Berrywood Drive clinic to meet with other social service providers and answer questions. Burrell also has its 24/7 Rapid Access Center on East Walnut Street, a clinic on Ash Street and the Phoenix Clinic for substance use disorders on Leslie Lane. Clarity clinics are on East Walnut and its dental clinic is on Berrywood Drive.
"We want to make sure everybody is equipped with the information they need when themselves, their friend or a family member has a mental health or substance use challenge. We want people to know where our doors are open," Gass said.
One unique program from Burrell is known as Healthcare Home, under the case management umbrella. This program coordinates both physical and mental health care for Medicaid patients who have behavioral health and/or chronic physical health conditions.
"Almost 15 years ago, the Department of Mental Health started to say we shouldn't separate somebody's mental health from their primary care and their overall physical health. A lot of individuals who have substance use or behavioral health challenges die 20 years earlier often due to the causality of poverty or secondary medication side effects," Gass said.
So, by doing preventative screenings people helped through the program do live longer and lead more productive lives, he added.
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Healthcare Home has nurse care managers who:
Help a person identify and achieve healthcare, wellness goals;
Ensures a person is receiving the necessary preventive and primary care for management of chronic physical health conditions;
Provides or arranges health and wellness education on general medical or chronic physical health conditions;
Assists in accessing a family doctor or other medical providers to coordinate care; and
Assists with transitions home after hospitalization, including reviewing medications and helping a person understand discharge instructions.
Nurse care managers are in contact with clients as much as necessary to maintain physical health and wellness, Burrell noted online.
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Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Burrell, Clarity Health Care kick off Mental Health Awareness Month
