Behavioral Health Services North Human Services Center, Morrison Building, Plattsburgh. Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/myBHSN
May 7, 2024 —
The behavioral health organization based in Clinton and Warren counties plans to hire 100 new people in the coming months.
The move is made possible by a new state reimbursement model that will make more services available to people who need treatment, said Sean Sabella, chief quality officer for Behavioral Health Services North (BHSN). states that.
“Some of these services have historically been delivered through BHSN, but this model is kind of a different way to fund some services, and in terms of integrating behavioral health. So it was a perfect fit for where we're going anyway, and by that I mean treating mental health and substance use disorders, which means providing medical care and meeting the social needs of the person,'' he said. Stated. Social needs include housing, transportation, access to health care, and employment.
BHSN's Plattsburgh Clinic and Queensbury Clinic each received about $265,000 in start-up funding to prepare for the new model, Sabella said. He told Champlain Valley reporter Carla Chapman that this is part of a broader shift to whole-person-centered care. Their conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Sean Sabella: We're not just thinking about mental health. And, you know, we don't differentiate between behavioral health and medical care. We take a serious look at a person's overall needs. So, for example, an individual may need a dietitian or may benefit from peer services provided by an individual with personal experience in mental health treatment or substance use disorder treatment. It is highly individualized and based on the specific needs presented by the person.
Kara Chapman: What are the changes from traditional approaches to behavioral health?
Sean Sabella: I think the traditional approach was siloed, separating mental health and substance use disorder treatment. And there's a lot of overlap in terms of those needs. It's also true that people with behavioral health needs are more likely to have serious medical conditions, especially as they get older. So we recognize that it's important to address all of this as a whole, and the sooner we can implement all of these treatments and make them available to individuals, the more we can prevent further impacts from the virus. More likely. Mental health issues, substance use disorder issues, and even medical conditions.
Kara Chapman: Hiring all of these people is an ambitious undertaking. The labor force in the North has been declining in recent years. Is BHSN concerned at all about its ability to fill these positions and get talent on board? How does it intend to address that?
Sean Sabella: This is true across the behavioral health field. It's hard to go into a meeting without hearing about the importance of employee recruitment and retention. We are looking forward to this opportunity. I think this will bring new financial resources to both regions, help bring more professionals to the region who aren't currently here, and help keep more people in the region. So we're really excited about the opportunity to use this funding to help create jobs and jobs, and help people along the way.
Kara Chapman: We talked about the importance of moving to a whole person approach. Why is it important for BHSN to expand its services in this way?
Sean Sabella: In many ways, this was just an extension of what we had been doing. This model was perfect for us. Because while we have been working toward integrated care for nearly the last decade, we recognize that mental health services are woefully inadequate to meet the needs of the whole person and actually keep people healthy. Because it was. To do that, you need to attack all these areas. We love the versatility of this model and the fact that it's comprehensive. That really aligns with our approach as an agency.
