A New Lease on Life

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

A New Lease on Life is a joint project between Henrico Area Mental Health & Developmental Services (HAMHDS), a Community Services Board, and CrossOver Ministry, a private non-profit health clinic. The project began in 2010 with grant assistance from the Virginia Healthcare Foundation and filled a significant gap in the availability of existing services. Funding from the Virginia Healthcare Foundation represents HAMHDS work to tap into new revenue sources during a significant economic downturn. The goal of the A New Lease on Life project is to address the needs of patients with diabetes and co-occurring depression. The project involves placing a full time HAMHDS clinician and ten hours of psychiatric services per week in the health clinic setting. This public/private partnership has resulted in positive outcomes for patients being served. In 2011, the mental health therapist saw 237 patients who had been diagnosed with diabetes and depression or were at significant risk for these conditions. Seventy-two percent (72%) of the patients served demonstrated significant improvement on the Becks Depression Inventory. Patients also demonstrated significant improvement in A1C levels, a test that measures blood sugar levels over a several-month period.