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Behavioral health problems such as depression and anxiety are among the most common
and disabling health conditions worldwide. Although effective treatments exist for
these conditions, most people in need do not receive adequate care due to stigma,
a shortage of mental health specialists, and a lack of follow-through. Downstate is
proud to announce the rollout of the new Collaborative Care mental health initiative
to bridge that gap in our community!
Collaborative Care is an evidence-based model providing medical and mental health
care in primary care. Offering mental health treatments integrated with primary care
is convenient for patients, can reduce the stigma associated with treatment for mental
disorders, build on existing provider-patient relationships, and help improve care
for the millions of patients with both medical and mental disorders.
The program is under our Care Coordination Department, and Ms. Felicia Thompson, LMSW,
MPA, Social Work Director, will lead this initiative. Our new team includes Eva Spears-Smith,
LCSW-R, CCM, Ambulatory Care Social Work Supervisor; Social Workers Charles Edwards
and Daniel Lorient, and Social Work Assistants Jania Charles, Donoven Gabin, and Makaiah
Blackburn. The team will collaborate with our primary care providers and consulting
psychiatrists to provide integrated mental health services to patients in our primary
care centers.
This initiative, at this scale and in the outpatient setting, is an essential first
for Downstate! Please join us in welcoming the team.
Collaborative Care is open to all Downstate patients who receive primary care with
us. Please help us spread the word to your patients, co-workers, and neighbors.
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We want to share that we will upgrade our electronic medical records provider from
Allscripts to Altera Digital Health in the coming weeks. This upgraded software will
provide better efficiency for secure communication across providers. It incorporates
a highly secure framework to protect the sensitive patient data you receive, share,
or store.
