October is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month
Upcoming lunch & learn sessions
Provider Spotlight: Bread for the City
On-Demand: Advance Directive
Featured Resource: Advancing integrated mental health solutions
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October is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month
October is an important month for the DC Integrated Care program as we kick off Mental Health Awareness week and continue as National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month. These designations bring awareness to recognizing the signs and symptoms of depression and other mental health conditions. Many local and national organizations have special programs during this time. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is hosting several educational sessions for individuals with mental illness, along with their friends and family. SAMHSA, which recognizes May as Mental Health Awareness month, also has resources on its website.
Every month can be Mental Health Awareness Month for your practice, staff, and patients. As we transition from summer to autumn, many patients are at risk for seasonal affective disorder and challenges from other life stressors.
Screening patients for depression and other mental health conditions is a critical component of the Integrated Care DC program. Talk with your ICDC coach or reach out to the program team for further information on how to improve your screening processes.
Each month, we are featuring one or more practices participating in the Integrated Care DC program that are making exceptional progress delivering whole-person care for DC residents. If you know a practice or someone deserving of this feature or want to feature yourself, use this link to tell us more.
Bread for the City
Bread for the City set an initial goal of 25 percent depression remission in patients with a PHQ-9 score over 10, which aligns with national benchmarks. In the first year of registry use, they exceeded their goal, achieving depression remission in 27 percent of their population. As a result of their success, they have set a more ambitious goal of 30 percent for the upcoming year.
Click here to learn more about Bread for the City's mission.
Advance Directive Learning Series
Did you miss our Advance Directive webinar series? You can now access these sessions on-demand on the Integrated Care DC learning resource page. During the three sessions, HMA's Dr. Barry Jacobs led a panel that included Corey Main from DC CRISP and Nathanial Curry from DHCF through case discussions focusing on why and how the care team can talk to their patients about this sensitive topic. The panel also discussed ways providers could use the new CRISP Advance Directive tool. The Integrated Care DC team offers practice-level support on this critical topic. You can sign up for coaching here.
Featured Learning Resource:
Advancing Integrated Mental Health Solutions – Collaborative Care Resources
We publish on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month. If you have content for our monthly newsletter, mid-month update, or have feedback or comments, we want to hear from you. Send us an email at: communications@integratedcaredc.com