We checked in with Dr. Dallas Auvil, TriHealth Psychiatry System Chief to tell us more about the expanded Behavioral Health Services at TriHealth and how our collaborative care model allows providers to treat behavioral health issues, and any underlying health issues, all in a multidisciplinary setting.
We have a behavioral health crisis in this country, and it is impacting every sense of our lives. Some estimates say that behavioral health contributes to billions of dollars spent in unnecessary healthcare utilization and the avoidable loss of millions of lives worldwide. Also, 1 in 4 adults have a behavioral health disorder which is often untreated or ineffectively treated.
TriHealth is committed to fixing our broken healthcare system but that is impossible if we don’t address underlying issues like behavioral health. We know if we can provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place… it greatly improves overall patient outcomes and their ability to live their best life.
Behavioral health is a term which includes mental health and mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. It also includes supporting our patients through challenges in their everyday lives whether it’s unhealthy eating, support through grief, dealing with a new diagnosis, financial stressors, and more. The term behavioral health when used by TriHealth includes any factors that can influence the patient's wellness in a both positive or negative ways. Afterall, we all deal with life’s challenges, so we want to ensure we support all our patients in their behavioral health.
At TriHealth, we strive to treat everyone’s behavioral health condition using a problem-focused and compassionate approach. We have developed a comprehensive tiered approach to address the wide spectrum of behavioral health problems which may range from mild to severe. This way we can support ANY patient and meet them where they are. Also, in contrast to other health systems, TriHealth has fully integrated behavioral health into primary care which has been proven to improve patient outcomes in many other areas of their health.
TriHealth has developed a network of behavioral health services built around each patient's primary care provider for both pediatric and adult patients. Each primary care office has an assigned Behavioral Health Consultant at the ready to provide prompt assessment and practical interventions or behavioral health support. A consultative psychiatrist is on call to provide input regarding treatment of psychiatric conditions and medication management to support Primary Care Providers.
Patients with moderate to severe depression may participate in the Collaborative Care Program for Major Depression which follows patients for up to 3 months to assure adequate response to treatment. TriHealth has established two Behavioral Health Ambulatory Clinics for patients who require more specialized psychiatric treatment.
In addition to outpatient services, TriHealth offers partial hospitalization program, intensive outpatient alcohol and drug program and inpatient services. Click HERE to learn more about our Behavioral Health programs.
Many of TriHealth's behavioral health services are relatively new, and we are excited to expand these services to more of our patients. Our staff is also working diligently to make these the best programs they can be for YOU, the patient. We continually strive for improvement, and the best way to do that is through your feedback. If you have feedback on any of our behavioral health programs, please reach out to our Practice Administrator Carrie Hoffman at Carrie_Hoffman@TriHealth.com.
Referrals to any TriHealth Behavioral Health Service must be made by a TriHealth Primary Care Physician. If you don’t have a TriHealth Primary Care Doctor, click HERE to find one closest to you.
The TriHealth Behavioral Health program is supported in thanks to a generous grant from bi3.