Nikole Benders-Hadi, M.D.

💠 There is a growing push towards value-based care in mental health. The potential benefits are significant: • Improved treatment effectiveness • Better patient outcomes and quality of life • Reduced healthcare costs, including fewer ER visits • Alignment of incentives between patients, providers, and insurers This approach could be a win-win for all stakeholders, addressing both individual wellbeing and the broader economic challenges in healthcare. By making strategic upfront investments in mental health care, we can potentially curb downstream costs and improve lives. This shift is crucial, as healthcare expenses, including mental health, are a major economic concern. What are your thoughts on value-based care in mental health? How can we accelerate this positive change? #MentalHealth #ValueBasedCare #HealthcareInnovation

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TOMORROW – 2 CEs – ZOOM Presentation – Fee: $30 Practical Clinical Interventions for Incentivizing Change: A Handy "Reference Guide" for All Therapists TOMORROW – Fri, Sep 27, 2024 / 12 noon – 2:00 pm (ET) Both “Live” and “Recorded” for Later Viewing (Home Study) Presented by Martha Stark, MD / Harvard Medical School Hosted by the Office of Continuing Education at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology TO REGISTER – https://shorturl.at/AGGdG Although you might pride yourself on being able to offer your clients plenty of support, do you sometimes worry that you might not be offering them quite enough challenge? My 2-hour ZOOM Workshop will teach you to "construct" a series of "growth-incentivizing interventions" specifically designed to "catalyze" deep and enduring psychodynamic change in your clients – by facilitating their advancement, whatever their diagnosis and whatever their initial level of functionality, from “rigidity” to “resilience” – from “defensive reaction” to “adaptive response.” These interventions are strategically formulated to offer just the right balance between anxiety-provoking challenge and anxiety-assuaging support. I will be providing you with a set of "therapeutic tools" – both "minimally stressful" and "optimally stressful" interventions – that you will be able to call upon during pivotal and universally relevant “clinical moments” with your clients. These interventions will “incentivize” the client to (1) confront anxiety-provoking truths about her “self,” (2) grieve anxiety-provoking truths about the “objects of her desire,” (3) take ownership of anxiety-provoking truths about her “relational self,” and (4) access anxiety-provoking truths about her “private self.” You will be receiving my freshly minted 18-page CLINICAL INTERVENTIONS GUIDE – a handbook of growth-incentivizing “statements” that will provide both impetus and opportunity for your clients’ transformation and growth. You will also get PDFs of the richly detailed PowerPoint Slides from which I will be working. Whether "Live" or "Later Viewed" (Home Study), my 2-hour ZOOM Workshop is a very affordable $30 for 2 CEs! TO REGISTER – https://shorturl.at/AGGdG Biographical Information – Martha Stark MD, a graduate of Harvard Medical School and the Boston Psychoanalytic Institute, is a holistic (adult and child) psychiatrist and integrative psychoanalyst in Boston, MA. Originator/Developer of THE STARK METHOD of PSYCHODYNAMIC SYNERGY: A Multifaceted Approach to Deep Embodied Healing, Martha is the author of nine books on the integration of psychodynamic theory with clinical practice, including the 1999 award-winning Modes of Therapeutic Action: Knowledge, Experience, and Relationship – recipient of Jason Aronson’s prestigious “Book of the Year Award.” Several of Martha's books have become "required reading" for candidates in psychoanalytic training institutes and students in psychodynamic psychotherapy programs in the US and abroad.

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Here we Grow Again! Check out the latest news about how we have improved client experience in treatment with in-between session risk assessment gamified homework and clinical interventions that incorporate measurement-based care to help providers really target interventions around what truly matters.

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Great STAT article Roshni Koli and Christine Yu Moutier!! We all need to be talking more about the Collaborative Care Model! "Integrated models like Collaborative Care Model have been shown to detect and prevent suicide and overdose in primary care before the point of crisis. This approach is particularly adept at detecting mental health conditions such as depression because it incorporates another proven approach: measurement-informed care that tracks patient progress over time and uses data to inform treatment, much like routinely checking a patient’s blood pressure and cholesterol." #MentalHealth #CollaborativeCareModel #SuicidePrevention #COMPLETECareAct https://lnkd.in/gduGrnHs

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My next Substack column: What would you do if you were starting your new one year term as president of the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society?

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I am incredibly proud to continue growth toward broader access to mental health care for all. Today is an important milestone for Talkspace, as we strive to bridge the care gap for populations who need it most. Medicare members in 11 states can now access care from a therapist licensed in their state. In a recent report the Inspector General of the HHS found that one in four Medicare enrollees are estimated to be living with a mental condition, yet fewer than half of them are receiving treatment. What’s more alarming is that there are <5 active mental health care providers for every 1,000 enrollees. The 11 states in which Talkspace is now accepting traditional Medicare are: California, Florida, New York, Ohio, New Jersey, Virginia, Missouri, Maryland, South Carolina, New Mexico, and Idaho, and we plan to expand access to all 33 million traditional Medicare members, coupled with several Medicare Advantage plans, across all 50 states by the end of the year. Sources: HHS Office of the Inspector Genera, March 2024; The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services April 2024. https://lnkd.in/gCjXZJZq

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One take-away I see is attribution challenge. Attribution is straightforward in high-cost episodes but difficult in lower-cost, preventive care. Measuring ongoing care is essential when the connection between intervention and avoided costs isn't clear. Great insight, Hui Cheng

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Postpartum support plays a crucial role in maternal mental health and recovery. This article highlights the significant impact of doula care in reducing postpartum depression and improving overall well-being for new mothers. At Queen City Doulas, we’re dedicated to providing personalized support that aligns with these findings. Check out this insightful research on the benefits of postpartum care and how it can enhance the health of both mothers and their babies.

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I studied the genetics of bipolar disorder and autism in academia years ago but left the field to do clinical research because we, as a field, could not find single genes of major effect for psychiatric disorders as defined by earlier editions of the DSM- our sample sizes were just too small and the definitions didn't describe patients with a homogeneous underlying biology. It turns out that it is necessary to study 1000s, even 10s of 1000s of patients to get a clearer picture of inheritance. An example of this type of study looking at susceptibility to TRD within families was just published in JAMA using the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Database. The authors showed that first degree relatives of patients with TRD were more likely to have TRD and a host of other seemingly unrelated comorbid DSM-5 diagnoses. Population-based studies of TRD patients also show that patients with TRD have multiple comorbid diagnoses. Genome Wide Association Studies have also shown substantial overlap between various disorders defined as discrete entities by the DSM-5 including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and MDD. It is clear that we need to take a new approach to defining psychiatric disorders and the Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure (CCSM) does just that. The CCSM is a psychiatric review of systems to be done at intake and repeated in the event that treatments do not provide relief as expected. Data from this measure will ultimately help create new diagnostic categories that may be the target of novel therapies. https://lnkd.in/g3jgrUiQ

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Our health-care heros are not immune to loss and hectic home lives. They need support too! In this fantastic blog, Tracey Piparo, PA-C, DFAAPA discusses how Help Texts has been an absolute game changer in her personal and professional life. Give it a quick scan 👇 #helptexts #blog #Healthcare #hero #mentalhealth #grief #EAP #HR

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Who are the game changers in #mentalhealth right now? Thanks Chris Larson! #mentalhealthgrowth #counseling #socialwork #mft #psychology #psychiatry #telementalhealth #mentalhealthbusiness #growth

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On June 27th, National #PTSD Day, it’s crucial to shed light on the realities and long-term impacts of trauma. Our clinical psychologist, Vanessa Toledo, has written an insightful article discussing the prevalence of #trauma, its impact on mental health, and effective therapies for those affected. Understanding trauma is the first step toward healing. By recognizing its true nature and raising awareness, we can help demystify and destigmatize the experiences of trauma survivors at MeTime Healing. Read the article on Medium to learn more about the complexities of trauma and how we can support those who are struggling. https://lnkd.in/ejEPZBph #PTSD #MentalHealth #TraumaAwareness #HealingJourney #MeTimeHealing

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Pleased to share our work on the importance of considering physician preferences and perceived burden in understanding the relationship between documentation time and burnout #physicianburnout #workplacewellbeing https://lnkd.in/exSu7wEf

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It is hard to overstate the enormity of the behavioral care access crisis. Only about a third of those with behavioral disorders access services by one estimate, and in SAMHSA’s 2023 survey, 5% of people with SUDs received care. Many end treatment prematurely. Few with sub-clinical problems get preventive care. Yet, we promote the same failing solutions when alternatives exist. Imagine a PCP who treats every new case of hypertension with medication and never considers options like stress management or changes in diet, exercise, and sleep. This failure mirrors the inflexibility and unresponsiveness of behavioral healthcare's delivery system. People seeking outpatient services get psychotherapy or medication, even if they prefer less intensive services. Hour-long therapy sessions should not be the minimum psychosocial service. Therapists began decades ago to fine-tune brief visits (averaging 20 minutes) in the primary care setting, and many people respond well to them—including those disliking the intensity of traditional therapy episodes. Our behavioral workforce is unprepared for such a delivery model today, but we can prioritize this as a goal. People like being seen in primary care—it is more accessible, less intense, and less stigmatizing. See more 200-word essays on my website: https://lnkd.in/gTy5xZmR

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We focus on fully formed problems in healthcare, partly due to the medical model’s grounding in diagnosis. Treating a disorder differs from addressing its progression. This is relevant for substance use disorders (SUDs), highly stigmatized conditions that receive little specialized treatment. We should shift focus upstream to intervene earlier. Given a modicum of success, this effort pays for itself. SAMHSA’s annual survey reveals that while over 46 million adults have SUDs, fewer than 10% get treatment. Moreover, SUDs complicate every other illness and raise the total cost of care. Consider one strategy for intervening early in a low-stigma healthcare setting:  using motivational interviewing (MI) in primary care to plant seeds for behavior change. This approach is potent because primary care fosters long-term relationships, and a series of MI conversations over time could boost results. Skilled therapists should lead this work. Therapists use MI to address ambivalence about change. PCPs can learn to utilize these skills as well. Yet, the problem is more structural than clinical. Significant results will accrue only when behavioral staffing in primary care increases substantially—we should aim to have all behavioral care begin there. See more 200-word essays on my website: https://lnkd.in/gF-UnVWS

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Goals create the trajectory of our own success, by creating effective goal planning skills it allows you to take control of your choices and achievements. Read my Clinical Resident Skylar's first blog to learn how to make SMARTer goals. #mindfulnesswithsasha #SMARTgoals #internsareourfuture #worksmarternotharder #lifegoals #manageyourexpectations https://wix.to/3Wtv2Ez

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I am SHOCKED by how many of my colleagues in the behavioral health space do not see the relevance of religion and/or spirituality in clinical treatment For many reasons navigating the delicate topics of spirituality & religion MUST become part and parcel of mental health practitioners' tool box -For some, religion is a complex & painful topic with lots of conflict and confusion needing to be processed (like any trauma) through during the journey to healing and wellbeing -For some, one's spiritual beliefs and/orpractices offer comfort and support in times of distress: drawing upon faith in God or a Higher Power, prayer, finding meaning & purpose within struggles, and the list goes on. -For some, being a member of a faith-based community is an integral part of one's cultural identity and shapes their unique experiences, practices, and worldview More and more research is uncovering (a) the growing percentage of people wishing to incorporate spirituality into their treatment and (b) the specific psychological and cognitive mechanisms that relate to spiritual/religious practice As therapists and industry leaders in mental health and addiction treatment, finding ways to incorporate our clients' religious/spiritual identity into treatment is not only valuable, but absolutely CRITICAL for the provision of culturally competent care #religionreprocessed #culturallysensitivetreatment

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Have you ever wondered what an interactive art therapy presentation could look like for your organization? 🌟 I am thrilled to share my interactive presentation with the esteemed Massachusetts General Hospital's Dementia Care Collaborative. In the session titled "Conversations with Caregivers: Tales from the Field: An Art Therapist’s Perspective on Dementia," I had the honor of diving deep into the transformative impact of art therapy for those living with dementia. In this detailed conversation, I explore how art therapy provides not just a creative outlet but a powerful tool for communication and connection for individuals experiencing dementia. We discuss practical strategies for engaging with art, understanding the nuances of each individual's needs, and how art can be a profound medium for expression and joy. 🎨 From discussing the importance of meeting clients where they are, to adapting art activities based on individual abilities and preferences, the talk is packed with insights that can help care partners and professionals alike enhance the quality of life for those they care and work with. 👉 Watch the full conversation here and gain valuable insights into the world of art therapy for dementia care: https://lnkd.in/eJvjFQGD Whether you're a caregiver, a healthcare professional, or someone interested in the power of art therapy, this discussion sheds light on the meaningful impact creative expression can have on those with dementia. Let's continue to explore and expand the boundaries of how we can support our loved ones through creativity! #ArtTherapy #DementiaCare #MassGeneral

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