The Yale School of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry is pleased to announce the winners of its fifth annual Clinical Innovation in Psychiatry (CIIP) Awards.
The CMHC Wellness Center: Development of a Person-Centered Health Home / Jeanne Steiner, DO; Robert Cole, MHSA; Aniyizhai Annamalai, MD; Maria O’Connell, PhD
- The development and implementation of the CMHC Wellness Center is the culmination of several years of initiatives to improve the physical health of the individuals served at CMHC. It has been in operation for over one year, and it is a successful venture due to its adoption of evidence based and innovative elements. It serves as the model for other “health homes” within DMHAS and across the nation. The CMHC Wellness Center was developed with the goals of improving health care access, coordination, and outcomes by enhancing the following elements of CMHC’s system of care: co-location of primary care, care coordination, peer-based supports, cultural sensitivity, trauma informed care and health promotion. In the first year of operation we exceeded the enrollment goals, demonstrating the level of need and interest for integrated care within the CMHC population.
Integrating Primary Medical Care and Mental Health for Homeless Veterans at Errera Community Care Center of VA Connecticut Healthcare System: The Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team (HPACT) / Theddeus Iheanacho MD; and David Rosenthal MD
- Adults with severe mental illness and co-morbid chronic medical illness who are experiencing homelessness have a higher rate of functional impairment, complications and emergency services utilization. Integrated care partnerships between Primary Medical Care and Mental Health Care, along with specialized care delivery processes have been shown to significantly improve the efficiency, effectiveness and clinical outcomes for adults with mental illness and medical disorders. Our Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams (HPACTs) were designed to address system level, individual and clinician barriers to accessing care for homeless veterans with complex medical and psychosocial needs. Since its implementation, our HPACT now serve a little over 150 Veterans with varying complex psychiatric and medical needs. It has outperformed average national outcome measures by providing intensive, community-based and integrated primary medical care -mental health care for these homeless Veterans.
The Department's Clinical Coordinating Group solicited nominations through August 2014. A panel of five prominent outside reviewers ranked submissions on innovation, demonstrated effectiveness, and significance for the field.
The two programs listed are the winners and will be presented at a special Grand Rounds presentation on Friday, November 21st at 10:15 am in the Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC) Auditorium.
The department would like to congratulate the members of these two programs and express its gratitude to the Clinical Coordinating Group for leading this effort to highlight and celebrate innovative achievements in clinical practice. The group, made up of institution chiefs and clinical directors, includes Michael Hoge, PhD; Debbie Pearlman; Ismene Petrakis, MD; Mary Ellen Savage, MD; Michael Sernyak, MD; Lorraine Siggins, MD; William H. Sledge, MD (Chair); and Jeanne Steiner, DO.
For more information: Clinicial Innovation in Psychiatry