Behavioral Health Home Pilot Project

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

Numerous national literature sources and research projects have revealed in recent years that individuals diagnosed with a major mental illness and/or substance use disorder die as many as 30 years prior to their non-disabled counterparts (Insel, 2011; Duckworth, 2013; Chesney, Goodwin, & Fazel, 2014; Frances, 2015). This alarming revelation has spurred behavioral and physical health care organizations to work to reverse this statistic. One approach has been the creation of behavioral health homes. A behavioral health home (BHH) is defined as integrated, person-centered services that maintains close coordination and collaboration between physical and behavioral service delivery systems -– fueled by exchange of health information, evidence-based practices and care coordination. BHH projects are designed for individuals with serious mental illness/serious emotional disturbance and who are at risk of complex, chronic physical health conditions. In July 2015, Chesterfield Mental Health Support Services, the public behavioral health services organization for Chesterfield County, VA, entered into a year-long partnership with the national managed care organization (MCO) Anthem, Inc., to create a behavioral health home for 30 mutual individuals receiving care. After 9 months of operation, indicators are good that the trajectory of these clients’ lives has begun to turn in a positive direction.