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Press
Release
More
about the Integrated Health Care Initiative...
April
10, 2006
Hogg Foundation for
Mental Health Awards $2.6 Million to Promote Effective Mental Health
Treatment in Primary Care Clinics
AUSTIN-The Hogg
Foundation for Mental Health has awarded more than $2.6 million
over three years to Texas primary care and pediatric clinics to
promote effective identification and treatment of mental health
problems in primary care settings.
The five organizations funded through this initiative will adopt
the collaborative care model, an integrated health care approach
in which primary care and mental health providers partner to manage
the treatment of mental health problems in the primary care or pediatric
setting, and address barriers to implementation they encounter.
Two decades of research have demonstrated that the collaborative
care model improves primary care patients' mental health outcomes
with a minimal investment of resources.
"These grants represent the first step in the Hogg Foundation's
initiative to improve the quality of mental health care provided
in Texas primary care clinics," said King E. Davis, Ph.D., Executive
Director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. "Most people
experiencing mental health problems go to their primary care physician
for help, but most primary care physicians lack the time or training
to identify, treat, and monitor these issues effectively."
The collaborative care model addresses this dilemma by integrating
a mental health care manager and a consulting psychiatrist into
the primary care or pediatric setting. As trained mental health
professionals or paraprofessionals, care managers are responsible
for educating patients about their mental health problems and monitoring
their response to treatment. The consulting psychiatrist reviews
patients who are not responding to treatment and provides treatment
recommendations to the care manager, treating physician, and patient.
"The collaborative care model provides simple, cost-effective solutions
for two key problems physicians' lack of time and expertise in
treating mental health problems and patients' tendency to discontinue
treatment," said Davis. "With a minimal time investment, primary
care physicians receive the expert consultation they need to treat
mental health problems effectively, increasing their capacity to
manage such problems without assistance over time. Through mental
health care managers' routine monitoring of patients between physician
visits, patients with identified mental health needs are less likely
to 'slip through the cracks' in the primary care setting."
The Hogg Foundation selected the five grantee organizations through
a competitive review process in which Foundation staff and a national
panel of collaborative care experts evaluated applicants' proposals
for implementing the collaborative care model and addressing barriers
they encounter in the process.
Based in Harlingen, Valley Primary Care Network received a grant
of $1,138,184 over three years to bring the collaborative care model
to its four community health centers the Brownsville Community
Health Center, Community Action Council of South Texas, Nuestra
Clinica del Valle, and Su Clinica Familiar. These clinics will partner
with Tropical Texas Center for Mental Health and Mental Retardation
to treat a range of mental health problems in children and adults.
Parkland Hospital and Health System in Dallas received a grant of
$576,634 over three years to implement the collaborative care model
in two of its Community Oriented Primary Care clinics Bluitt-Flowers
Health Center and East Dallas Health Center. The clinics will use
these funds to provide treatment to adults with depression.
A grant of $275,255 over three years was awarded to People's Community
Clinic in Austin to treat adults with various mental health problems
in partnership with Austin Travis County Mental Health Mental Retardation
Center.
Project Vida Health Center received a grant of $373,104 over three
years to treat mental health problems in adults and children in
its three El Paso clinics. This faith-based Federally Qualified
Health Center will partner with Family Services of El Paso and El
Paso Mental Health Retardation for the initiative.
Through a partnership with Texas Children's Hospital, Texas Children's
Pediatric Associates will use its grant of $306,570 over three years
to treat children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
in its Ripley clinic, located in Houston's East End.
"We are honored to partner with these outstanding organizations,"
said Davis. "With their leadership, we look forward to using the
lessons learned from this initiative to promote effective mental
health treatment in primary care and pediatric practices around
the state."
The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health is an administrative unit
of The University of Texas at Austin. For over 65 years, the Hogg
Foundation has accomplished its mandate through grantmaking to mental
health services, research, policy, and public education projects
in the state of Texas. More information is available at www.hogg.utexas.edu.
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Media Contact:
Laurie Alexander, Ph.D.
Integrated Health Care Project Leader
Acting Communications Director
laurie.alexander@mail.utexas.edu
512-471-5041
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