Patients can expect better access to behavioral health treatment since Madigan’s Army Medical Center www.mamc.amedd.army.mil has made some new changes to their Behavioral Health Services www.mamc.amedd.army.mil/clinical/behavioral-health/default.aspx.
These changes are realigning behavioral health homes with primary care homes and expanding access to behavioral health services consultations and providing telebehavioral health programs. Madigan has embedded internal behavioral health consultants directly into primary care homes to conduct brief interventions and also to work closely with primary care doctors.
Active duty soldiers will see some of the effects of the recent behavioral health changes. One change means that the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division has been realigned to other behavioral health missions due to the unit’s deactivation. Secondly, the Yukon Behavioral Health Home is spearheading the department’s offer to provide patient interaction online through Relay Health www.relay.health.com.
Another change has occurred that has realigned the Child and Family Behavioral Health System with primary care clinics. Parents will notice more of a team approach to their child’s behavioral healthcare and a better continuum of care as well as for children who need to transition from primary care to specialty care.
Another change enable doctors prescribing psychiatric medications in primary care to now consult with psychiatrists directly to modify or add medications as opposed to making a referral for their patient to see a different provider.
Also, the Intensive and Specialty Service Lane now offers greater access to behavioral health support through their new Consultation Liaison Service (CLS). This service provides behavioral health consultations to inpatient wards and to emergency rooms.
This program is also pursuing telebehavioral health services. Regionally, Madigan is helping the Western Regional Medical Command www.army.mil/wrmc provide individual therapy and medication management through the use of telebehavioral health treatment. Today, teleconsultations via phone or video teleconferencing are provided to patient centered medical homes as needed.
While the bulk of Madigan’s behavioral health reorganizational changes are now complete, active duty patients can expect that by the end of 2015, Madigan will create a residential treatment facility which will treat patients who have both behavioral health conditions and substance abuse disorders.