Juneau Alliance for Mental Health, Inc. has been awarded a four-year federal grant to provide integrated services through the co-location of primary care medical services and behavioral healthcare at their community behavioral health center on Glacier Highway. The project is slated to begin Oct. 1.
The project is “funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration,” said executive director Pam Watts.
“The program’s objective is to support the triple aim of improving the health of individuals with serious mental illness and those with co-occurring disorders, enhancing their experience of care, and reducing/controlling the per capita cost of care,” she said.
JAMHI will expand their evidence-based practices to include medical care, physical health, prevention and wellness interventions. Additions to their staff will include a primary care provider, wellness coordinator, peer support specialist and nurse care coordinator.
“We have long known that people with serious mental illness experience a higher incidence of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol and other health problems than do others, and now we have an opportunity to turn the tide,” Watts said.
According to Watts, these conditions and increased mortality can be attributed to a number of issues including inadequate physical activity and poor nutrition, smoking, side effects of medications and lack of access to health care services.
Many of these health conditions are preventable through routine health promotion activities, primary care screening, monitoring, treatment and care management/coordination and other outreach programs.
