2023 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Management Summit

7:15am – 8:00am
Conference Registration & Networking Breakfast 

8:00am – 8:15am
Chairperson’s Opening Remarks 

8:15am – 9:00am
Community Partnerships: The Key to Improving Access to Mental Healthcare
When working with populations facing barriers related to social determinants of health, utilizing resources in the community can help connect them to the behavioral health treatment they need. Partnering with stakeholders and organizations in your community to fund programs can have many benefits for your patients. While many of these partnerships are non-traditional, innovative efforts through collaboration can improve healthcare outcomes. This session will explore examples of how organizations are leveraging community partnerships to improve access to mental healthcare.

Karen L. Fortuna, PhD, LICSW
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Geisel School of Medicine
Dartmouth College 

9:00am – 9:45am
Technology and the Future of Mental Health Treatment
Technology has opened a new frontier in mental health support and data collection. Mobile devices like cell phones, smartphones and tablets are giving the public, doctors and researchers new ways to access help, monitor progress, and increase understanding of mental wellbeing. Mobile mental health support can be very simple but effective. For example, anyone with the ability to send a text message can contact a a crisis center. New technology can also be packaged into an extremely sophisticated app for smartphones or tablets. Such apps might use the device’s built-in sensors to collect information on a user’s typical behavior patterns. If the app detects a change in behavior, it may provide a signal that help is needed before a crisis occurs. Some apps are stand-alone programs that promise to improve memory or thinking skills. Others help the user connect to a peer counselor or to a health care professional. Excitement about the huge range of opportunities has led to a burst of app development. There are thousands of mental health apps available, and the number is growing every year. However, this new technology frontier includes a lot of uncertainty. There is very little industry regulation and very little information on app effectiveness, which can lead consumers to wonder which apps they should trust. This session will explore the advantages and disadvantages of expanding mental health treatment and research in a mobile world.

Kayla Hunt, Psy.D.
Assistant Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology
Associate Director of Pediatric Behavioral Health & Wellness Outpatient Services
Associate Director of Informatics for Psychiatry
University of Rochester Medical Center 

9:45am – 10:15am
Networking & Refreshments Break 

10:15am – 11:00am
Improving Mental and Behavioral Health Equity
Health equity means that all people, regardless of their sociodemographic background, have access to affordable, high quality, comprehensive mental and behavioral healthcare that meets their needs. In striving towards this goal, people with mental illness must be considered. As population demographics continue to shift, behavioral healthcare systems will need to expand their ability to fluidly meet the growing needs of a diverse population. By improving access to mental and behavioral healthcare, promoting quality behavioral health programs and practice, and reducing persistent disparities in mental health and substance use services for underserved populations and communities, recipients can ensure that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Whether your organization is in the early stages of developing a health equity strategy or currently taking action on key initiatives, this session will explore ways to help drive your mental and behavioral health equity agenda.

Wayne Young, MBA, LPC, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
The Harris Center for Mental Health & IDD 

11:00am – 11:45am
Access to Mental Health:  One State’s Approach 

Veronica Kelley, LCSW
Chief of Mental Health and Recovery Services
Orange County Health Care Agency 

11:45am – 12:30pm
The Landscape of School-Based Mental Health Services
Many children are experiencing poor mental and emotional health. In recognition of growing mental health concerns among children, recent policy measures provide pathways to support school-based mental health services for students. These policy actions aim to expand mental healthcare in schools – a setting that is more easily accessible by children. This session will explore the landscape of mental health services in schools, barriers to offering services, and how recent policies facilitate the expansion of school-based mental healthcare. 

Sean Perry
Co-Founder/ President
We R H.O.P.E., Inc 

12:30pm – 1:30pm
Luncheon 

1:30pm – 2:15pm
The Impact of a Behavioral Intervention Team 

Tracey Lavallias, DBA, MBA, M.ED
Executive Director Behavioral Health Service Line
Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health 

2:15pm – 3:15pm
Panel: Connecting Mental Health with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
There’s no way around it: supporting DEI means supporting mental health. Organizations must ensure that employees have the support they need to thrive. But making effective, accessible and culturally appropriate mental healthcare available is just the beginning. Leadership needs to be educated and empowered to respond appropriately to DEI and mental health issues. The stigma around mental health needs to be reduced. EAP and mental health benefits should be easy to understand and access. To create a truly healthy workplace, employers need to fully embrace DEI and mental health, together. As employers become more aware of the multitude of ways that belonging to different groups and with diverse backgrounds can impact a person’s mental health, they are leaning into their commitment to improving DEI in the workplace. This session will explore various ways employers are doing this.

3:15pm – 3:45pm
Networking & Refreshments Break 

3:45pm – 4:30pm
Dual Diagnosis: Substance Abuse and Mental Health
It is estimated that as many as half of those who seek treatment to help manage and recover from the symptoms of a mental health condition also have a substance use disorder. The presence of two or more disorders can complicate diagnosis and treatment. Integrating both screening and treatment for mental and substance use disorders leads to a better quality of care and health outcomes for those living with co-occurring disorders by treating the whole person. This session will explore ways for treating cooccurring disorders.

Manassa Hany, MD
Director, Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship
Mount Sinai West/ Morningside Program
Medical Director, Mount Sinai West Addiction Institute Outpatient
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 

4:30pm – 5:15pm
Social Determinants of Behavioral Health
This session will examine programs that health plans are putting into place to positively impact health outcomes and the quality and cost of care of some of the highest utilizers. Topics to be discussed will include:

- Connecting members to critical services

- How to improve screening and interventions

- How to improve resource utilization

- The impact of social determinant programs on member health and cost of care

- Ways to reduce disparities in health outcomes

5:15pm
End of Day One

7:15am – 8:00am
Conference Registration & Networking Breakfast 

8:00am – 8:15am
Chairperson’s Recap

8:15am – 9:00am
Overcoming Key Barriers to Advancing Mental Healthcare Access in Rural Communities
While rates of mental illness are similar in rural areas compared to urban areas, there is a higher risk of suicide in rural communities, with nearly twice as many suicides in the most rural counties compared to urban. Rural areas experience a severe lack of access to and availability of the full range of behavioral healthcare services, challenges with mental health care workforce recruitment and retention, and technology barriers impacting telehealth visits. These challenges contribute to a more vulnerable and resource-poor rural population compared to urban peers. Barriers to mental healthcare in rural areas can be grouped into availability, access, and acceptability. This session will explore strategies to help overcome these barriers. 

Donnie S Mitchem, MS, LPA
Director Outpatient Therapy
Behavioral Health Charlotte
Atrium Health 

9:00am – 9:45am
Integrating Physical and Behavioral Health: A Major Step Toward Population Health Management
Improved care coordination for patients requiring both physical and mental health services could save the U.S. healthcare system billions of dollars annually while improving quality, outcomes and patient lifestyle. Behavioral health is a critical and often-overlooked component of a successful population health management program—a topic frequently discussed but rarely addressed comprehensively. Integration of behavioral health and primary care services can both enhance compliance with preventive care, thereby improving the effectiveness of chronic disease treatment, and help engage patients in self-management to improve lifestyle behaviors that contribute to these chronic conditions. Integration of the two disciplines also can decrease expensive and frequently unnecessary emergency department visits and inpatient admissions, particularly for patients with more severe mental health conditions, who tend to have a high degree of physical health comorbidities. This session will explore the economic and patient care benefits that can be gained from integrating physical and behavioral health services, and why this should be a business priority for any organization making the transition from fee for service to population health management.

Theresa Fawvor, LCSW-S, CPHQ, CPHRM
Associate Vice President Behavioral Health Services
Memorial Hermann Health System 

9:45am – 10:15am
Networking & Refreshments Break 

10:15am – 11:00am
The Need for Early Mental Health Screening and Intervention
Early detection and treatment of mental disorders can result in a substantially shorter and less disabling course of illness. As the mental health field becomes increasingly able to identify the early antecedents of mental illnesses at any age, interventions must be implemented, provided in multiple settings, and connected to treatment and supports. Young people who show early signs of mental health disorders often do not receive treatment because of stigma due to lack information about where to go. Yet delayed treatment is associated with incomplete and prolonged recovery. This session will explore why early interventions and educational efforts can help a greater number of parents, the public, and providers learn about the importance of the first years of a child’s life and how to establish a foundation for healthy social and emotional development.

Gigi Holder, LCSW, MPH, MCHES®
CHAMP Program Director
Child Access to Mental Health and Psychiatry
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
University of Mississippi Medical Center

11:00am – 11:45am
Why Telehealth for Mental Health Care Is Working
What once seemed futuristic—receiving health care through a screen—has not only become common place, but preferable for certain medical visits, including mental health. Both adult and pediatric providers say that offering care via telehealth has been not only crucial during the pandemic, but also often advantageous, even as many clinicians are again seeing patients in person. Naturally, there are benefits and drawbacks—and it isn’t ideal for every patient, or every situation—but many providers and patients are happy. This session will address the benefits of telehealth in addressing mental health illness.

11:45am – 12:30pm
Mental Health Trends to Watch For
Mental health became an important part of the public conversation, as Olympic athletes, celebrities and other public figures came forward about their well-being and helped reduce the stigma. We can expect mental health to continue to be a top priority, particularly as the United States reckons with a growing mental health crisis. New developments in science are a testament to humanity’s commitment to healing. Other studies have shown us how we can improve mental health services, address racial and socioeconomic disparities, and ultimately, enhance our overall well-being from the inside out. This session will explore what mental health trends to watch for in the year ahead.

12:30pm
Conference Concludes

12:45pm – 2:45pm

Workshop: Ways Employers Can Address Mental Health in the Workplace
Mental health is top of mind everywhere these days as about 20 percent of adult Americans report symptoms of mental illness according to the Centers for Disease Control. It’s no secret that work-related factors are impacting employee’s mental health. In fact, The World Health Organization classified employee burnout as a medical condition. The two most important steps employers can take to help address this is 1) talk about mental health and 2) offer resources. Employees are better able to navigate mental health issues when their employers have a plan in place. This session will explore recommended strategies for employers to adopt, including:

- Offering additional training for management

- Making sure people take time off

- Promoting workplace wellness

- Creating a comprehensive mental health benefit within your benefits package

- Offering and promoting supportive resources