Mental health services (and others)
Jun. 6th, 2019 06:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blimixI just found out a bunch of cool stuff at today's Mental Health Subcommittee meeting, and thought I'd pass some on.
Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood now has a program for in-house, short term (up to one year*) treatment of depression and anxiety. Basically, they were seeing these a lot in their existing patients, and figured, "We're already good at providing stigmatized care, and our patients trust us. We're in a great position to provide another type of personal, stigmatized care." (Also, despite referrals, a lot of Medicaid patients will only visit a single physical site for health care.) I think they said they still apply sliding scale charges, so if you don't have Medicaid, you might still be okay. Extra benefit: Some mental health providers don't see past nonconforming gender identities: "Oh, that's your problem right there!" So counselors at PP may be much more useful for gender nonconforming folks. (Counselors: They're hiring!)
* Those who need longer term therapy can get referrals. Faith-based institutions (such as Spark/Trinity) might not take referrals from Planned Parenthood, but AMC does take referrals.
The Planned Parenthood locations with behavioral health services are Hudson (Columbia County), Albany (855 Central Ave), and Troy (200 Broadway). They will take patients from anywhere.
Planned Parenthood also offers hormone therapy for gender affirming care, with no gatekeeping (except that children under 18 need parental consent). There's no behavioral health or talk therapy requirement.
A regional advocacy specialist with Office of Consumer Affairs bureau of the Office of Mental Health gave us a bunch of information, much of it about resources and trainings available to providers. The bits that I thought might be of particular interest to the general public were these:
New York has an ombudsman program to advocate for both patients and providers who are facing obstacles from insurance companies in obtaining access to mental health and addiction treatment. It is the Community Health Access to Addiction and Mental Healthcare Project (CHAMP). See their flyer here.
Also, peer supports (some by phone) are available through many providers. ("Peers" are people who have received mental health and/or addiction treatment services.) I didn't receive any more specific information on this, nor do I see it on the Office of Consumer Affairs website, but I can request it if anybody wishes. (This might be available through Adult Behavioral Health Home and Community Based Services, which is for those enrolled in a Medicaid Managed Care Health and Recovery Plan. But there may be other peer supports available as well.)
Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood now has a program for in-house, short term (up to one year*) treatment of depression and anxiety. Basically, they were seeing these a lot in their existing patients, and figured, "We're already good at providing stigmatized care, and our patients trust us. We're in a great position to provide another type of personal, stigmatized care." (Also, despite referrals, a lot of Medicaid patients will only visit a single physical site for health care.) I think they said they still apply sliding scale charges, so if you don't have Medicaid, you might still be okay. Extra benefit: Some mental health providers don't see past nonconforming gender identities: "Oh, that's your problem right there!" So counselors at PP may be much more useful for gender nonconforming folks. (Counselors: They're hiring!)
* Those who need longer term therapy can get referrals. Faith-based institutions (such as Spark/Trinity) might not take referrals from Planned Parenthood, but AMC does take referrals.
The Planned Parenthood locations with behavioral health services are Hudson (Columbia County), Albany (855 Central Ave), and Troy (200 Broadway). They will take patients from anywhere.
Planned Parenthood also offers hormone therapy for gender affirming care, with no gatekeeping (except that children under 18 need parental consent). There's no behavioral health or talk therapy requirement.
A regional advocacy specialist with Office of Consumer Affairs bureau of the Office of Mental Health gave us a bunch of information, much of it about resources and trainings available to providers. The bits that I thought might be of particular interest to the general public were these:
New York has an ombudsman program to advocate for both patients and providers who are facing obstacles from insurance companies in obtaining access to mental health and addiction treatment. It is the Community Health Access to Addiction and Mental Healthcare Project (CHAMP). See their flyer here.
Also, peer supports (some by phone) are available through many providers. ("Peers" are people who have received mental health and/or addiction treatment services.) I didn't receive any more specific information on this, nor do I see it on the Office of Consumer Affairs website, but I can request it if anybody wishes. (This might be available through Adult Behavioral Health Home and Community Based Services, which is for those enrolled in a Medicaid Managed Care Health and Recovery Plan. But there may be other peer supports available as well.)
