NAMI Speaker Night explains Behavioral Health Home

By Beth Ranagan

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — Meg Callaway, director of Charlotte White’s new Behavioral Health Home project, presented information and answered attendees’ questions at the National Alliance on Mental Illness Speaker Night on Monday, March 10 at Mayo Regional Hospital.
    The Behavioral Health Home concept aims to provide integrated care for MaineCare clients with serious mental and medical illnesses in an effort to achieve better recovery outcomes. It also aims to end fragmented care by having a team-based behavioral health provider connect each client with a consistent primary care provider practice that is nationally certified as a patient-centered medical home and that willingly participates in the program’s model.

Photo courtesy of J. Ranagan

    NAMI SPEAKER NIGHT — Charlotte White Center Behavior Health Home Director Meg Callaway spoke at the March 10 NAMI Speaker Night at Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover-Foxcroft.

    It is this connection that qualifies as the “health home” and brings support and comfort to the client. The client can then feel that he has a team working on both mental and medical recovery. Collaboration among other providers such as a consulting nurse and psychiatrist, therapists, social workers, and peer recovery support specialists occurs through regular team meetings that also include the client and her case manager.  This program gives MaineCare clients a chance to manage their own health care with support.
    One audience member asked how payment for service is rendered. Callaway said that the behavioral services per member per month payment comes from MaineCare and a start-up grant received by the Charlotte White Center from the Maine Health Access Foundation last year.  Primary care practices, on the other hand, will continue on a fee-for-service model and receive additional incentive payments for working with patients who are part of a behavioral health home. Since the program stresses prevention and wellness, outcomes are expected to lower health care costs in the future.
    Another attendee asked if major medical illnesses are associated with mental illness. Callaway responded that of those with major mental illnesses “60 percent have five or more chronic conditions” and that “on average, people with major mental illnesses die 25 years earlier than their peers, usually due to physical health problems.”
    When asked how qualified clients would learn about this program, Callaway explained that the program is aimed at children and adults eligible for community integration and targeted case management. Clients receiving these services from area agencies that have adopted the BHH model will receive a letter inviting them to participate in the Behavioral Health Home model. They then have 28 days to say “no” to the program or automatically be enrolled.
    How can a person with other health insurance participate in a “health home” care model? Callaway replied that anyone can learn more about health care reform in Maine and locate a primary care practice that is designated a patient-centered medical home by visiting the Maine Quality Counts website at www.mainequalitycounts.org.
    The Behavioral Health Home program begins on April 1 at the Charlotte White Center.  More information can be obtained from the Charlotte White Center offices in Dover-Foxcroft.