MPH Program Hosts Public Health Grand Rounds on Behavioral Health Integration

Eastern Washington University’s Master of Public Health program has partnered with the Washington State Department of Health and Spokane Regional Health District to present a series of presentations highlighting salient public health issues in the state of Washington. These presentations are held on the last Friday of every month from 4-5 p.m. and are held in the Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Science Building Room 101 (Walgreens Auditorium) at the Spokane campus. The presentations will also broadcast for those who cannot join in person.

The second in the series was presented on September 28, 2018 and addressed behavioral health integration. Judy A. Holman, LICSW, LMHC, CDP, Inspection and Investigation Manager for Outpatient Behavioral Health Agencies, Health Systems Quality Assurance Division, Washington State Department of Health, was one of the speakers at the presentation. Joining Judy A. Holman was Jeff Thomas, CEO for Frontier Behavioral Health and immediate past board chair for the Washington Council for Behavioral Health. The speakers discussed how roughly 7 in 10 primary care visits in the U.S. are related to mental health and how integrating mental health and primary care is critical for improving outcomes for patients and communities. Judy A. Holman and Jeff Thomas then answered audience questions about new ways that providers can facilitate integration for the patients they serve as well as laws and payment models that regulate the process.

Students, faculty, health professionals, and the community at large are the audience for the Public Health Grand Rounds, but all are invited to participate. With each monthly presentation, the hope is to feature the important work that is being done to protect and inform people and improve the quality of life for the community. Attendees will learn about major public health issues, key challenges, evidence-based practice, potential solutions, and the context that influences our health every day. Future topics include maternal mortality, clinical workforce shortages, drinking water innovation, aging in rural areas, firearm injury and violence, and Medicaid transformation. See you on October 26 for the next Public Health Grand Rounds!

Links:

EWU MPH Public Health Grand Rounds: Behavioral Health Integration Presentation (With Audio)

Behavioral Health Integration

Reflections on the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act After 10 Years