May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and it couldn’t come at a better time. In the midst of a global pandemic that caused school and business closures, and added emotional and economic stress for many Americans, patients are facing unprecedented mental health concerns.
VHAN has long prioritized behavioral health support for members and patients, and those services are more important now than ever. The network offers robust assistance and learning opportunities that help member providers reach adults and children who are facing mental health difficulties.
Pediatric Behavioral Health Consult Line
Since 2018, VHAN staff have provided consultations for pediatric patients experiencing behavioral health difficulties through the Pediatric Behavioral Health Consult Line. The consult line connects practices to licensed clinical social workers who help customize patient care plans, navigate community resources and provide guidance on screening tools. VHAN social workers also offer support for medication consultations related to child and adolescent psychiatry. Since the line opened in 2018, the group has fielded more than 1,100 calls.
New Educational Events
In addition to the consult line, VHAN has added new learning opportunities for members in recent months, including:
- Behavioral Health Webinars. VHAN hosts frequent behavioral health webinars for members, addressing such topics as treating anxiety orders and ADHD in children, suicide prevention for children and diagnosing depression in adults. You can find webinar recordings on the VHAN Hub.
- VHANtage Point Discussion Group. VHANtage Point is VHAN’s private digital community designed to facilitate network communications and peer-to-peer learning. Earlier this month, VHAN’s Dr. Abhi Saxena provided two weeks of virtual office hours through the platform. Members posted discussion questions and asked for recommendations specific to adult behavioral health patients.
New Behavioral Health Program for Patients
VHAN is also proud to announce a new patient-facing program: Well Moment. Well Moment is a dedicated space where patients and families can learn from and talk directly to health experts about some of the most pressing health and wellness issues they’re facing today. From webinars and podcasts to infographics and guides, VHAN’s Well Moment will provide the most up-to-date resources on a variety of health topics.
VHAN has hosted two prior patient-facing webinars on cyberbullying and anxiety and depression in children. The next Well Moment webinar will be Thursday, May 20, 2021, when Catherine Shull, PMHNP-BC, MEd, RN will discuss COVID 19’s Impact on Anxiety in the School Setting.
This webinar is free to all patients and families, not just VHAN members, so feel free to share widely. Click here to register.