24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support
(877) 882-5122

24/7 Medical Support
(877) 882-5122

Get help today!
(877) 882-5122

NEWS

Why Adult & Child Health is an Ideal Agency to Utilize Medication Assisted Treatment

Share This Post

In 2017 alone, Indiana had 1,118 opioid-related deaths. That’s 17.2 deaths per 100,000 residents. That number has risen steadily since 2013, and it jumped 67.8% between 2016 and 2017.

Adult & Child Health has seen the opioid crisis firsthand, from clients who enter its addictions services to its Therapeutic Foster Care program. According to JAMA Pediatrics, a medical journal, foster care entries due to parents’ drug use spiked 147% between 2000 and 2017. A&C Director of Child Welfare Services Julie Stewart said several foster children in the system have biological parents who abused opioids.

“Adult & Child Health is striving to assist patients in every aspect of health care with an integrated and collaborative approach,” said Dr. Christine Negendank, chief medical officer. “We have been providing both behavioral health and primary care services, but were really lacking in our ability to provide medication assisted treatment for our patients with opioid dependence.”

How Adult & Child Health invests to increase access to Medication Assisted Treatment

Adult & Child Health recently announced its partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine to expand its addiction treatment services.

Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) is a program in which medications are used to curb physical cravings that are often associated with withdrawal symptoms while the patient works through addiction’s mental health aspects. Thanks to Adult & Child’s partnership with IU’s nationally recognized addictions program, the agency feels it’s found the right man – and three fellows – for the job.

Dr. R. Andrew Chambers

Dr. R. Andrew Chambers is an associate professor of psychiatry at the IU School of Medicine, and he’s board-certified in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry. Dr. Chambers’ passion and expertise in treating the complex needs of people who experience addictive disease has propelled him into an industry leadership role and in his authoring  “The 2×4 Model: A Neuroscience-Based Blueprint for the Modern Integrated Addiction and Mental Health Treatment System.”

“Dr. Chambers’ leadership has helped A&C Health advance our ability to support the needs of our addictions patients dramatically in a very short period of time, said Dan Arens, chief strategy officer at Adult & Child Health. “His dedication to building a holistic service delivery model and teaching the next generation of addictions providers through our partnership with IU is so refreshing.”

RELATED CONTENT: See how our Youth Development Program is Helping its Participants Excel

Why Dr. Chambers came to Adult & Child Health

Chambers believes Adult & Child Health is an ideal place to utilize Medication Assisted Treatment and the 2×4 model because of A&C Health’s decade long commitment to integrated primary and behavioral health care.

“The way Adult & Child is set up is really nice for developing this kind of approach in this system,” Chambers said. “It’s very hard to set up an integrated mental health and addiction treatment center in a place that doesn’t know mental health.”

Chambers isn’t alone in his efforts. Addictions psychiatry fellows Kevin Masterson, Danielle Patterson and Rohit Shah are completing a one-year fellowship at the agency. Chambers supervises all three fellows.

Dr. Kevin Masterson
Dr. Danielle Patterson
Dr. Rohit Shah

“All three of these folks are just out of their psychiatry residency, so this kind of like a fifth year of their residency training,” Chambers said. “They’re fully trained adult psychiatrists, but they’re doing one more year that’s still part of their training.”

Negendank also supports the team’s approach.

“The 2 x 4 model has been a great fit for our patients who frequently have co-occurring mental health and addictions disorders,” she said.

The fellows each work at Adult & Child Health one day per week. Their fellowship continues through July 2020.

“There’s a right way to do it where it’s really effective, and that’s the way we’re going to do it, and we’re all on board with that,” Chambers said. “We’re interested in quality care, and I feel that.”

RELATED CONTENT: I Took Mental Health First Aid Training. Here’s Why You Should, Too.

How Medication Assisted Treatment works

Doctors commonly use the MAT approach in conjunction with individual and group education and therapy to treat opioid use, alcohol use and smoking. Research demonstrates a combined counseling and medication approach yields better outcomes for most patients.  The FDA has approved several medications to treat opioid addiction and alcohol dependence.

Not sure what services you need? Call our Open Access line at 1-877-882-5122.

What’s next for the MAT program

Negendank and Chambers will ensure A&C continues to be an addiction psychiatry training site. They aim to take a proactive role to expand the number of qualified MAT providers and increasing access to quality care.

“I’m lucky and Adult & Child is lucky for the leadership of Dr. Christine Negendank,” Chambers said. “Adult & Child has a mission that it leads. It’s not part of a larger organization that’s telling Adult & Child what to do. It’s still a semi-autonomous community mental health center. There’s just a lot it can do that’s entrepreneurial.”

RELATED CONTENT: How Blue Triangle Helped a Homeless Man Recover

More To Explore

Agency News

SHAPE – A Live Arts Event | April 26

Indianapolis band, Frederic and Ronza are partnering with numerous agencies, groups and artists to bring to you, Shape on Saturday April 26th at the Athenaeum Theater, 401 E. Michigan, Indianapolis. The art show starts at 6p.m. and the live performance at 7p.m.  The arts are proven to support positive mental health. “Shape has been in the works for over a year with numerous artists and partners coming to the table with their ideas, talent and resources. This event will show how we have transformed lived experiences into art in a way that celebrates the resilience of those impacted by mental health and substance use issues,” said Kelly Fischer, senior lecturer at Ball State University.  Ball State University has formed a community partnership with Frederic and Ronza and the Consortium of Artists allowing their students to earn course credit as they participate in the process of creating this event, and there are also numerous artists and partners are involved. Through passionate music performances, spoken word, dance and a juried art show, the participating artists will render works that encourage the audience to listen, learn, gain perspective, be empathetic and gain a deeper understanding of these issues. The goal is to reduce stigma, elevate the voice of those affected, and bring hope to all who attend. The show will feature soul band Frederic and Ronza who will share original music. In addition, dancers from Dance Kaleidoscope will share a piece about grief that was choregraphed by Kristin Toner of the Indianapolis ballet.  Her work was inspired by watching a friend grieve the suicide of her brother, using dance to express emotions and inspire others. Toner said, “Art has helped me express my own feelings and thoughts about grief in order to provide a moment of emotion as the dancers connect with the audience.” Additionally, there are numerous others involved including poets and singers who will share their own passion and support for these issues.  All of the music, dance, poetry and spoken word were created or chosen based on the stories we heard during listening sessions. “The listening sessions were an opportunity to hear the stories of those impacted by these issues,” said Frederic and Ronza.  Through the numerous listening sessions, several themes emerged, including the need to reduce stigma, how everyone can help support recovery, and that mental health and substance use disorders can be likened to a storm.  “You will see the storm theme emerge throughout the show as we honor the feedback shared during the listening sessions,” said Frederic and Ronza.  Before the live performance, attendees can enjoy an art exhibit starting at 6p.m.  The art was selected by a jury panel for its excellence in artistic quality and its depiction of the Shape theme.  “We were impressed and moved by the artwork submitted and are sure attendees will be too,” said art juror Cierra Johnson. Artwork is also available for sale.  The event is being presented by Adult & Child Health. Matt Bane, Adult & Child Health, is working closely on the event said, “Having the privilege to be myself and share my personal story of my lived experience with having multiple mental health diagnoses and a substance use disorder has provided me the amazing connection with the SHAPE event.” The organizers, Frederic and Ronza are passionate about issues of mental health and substance use disorders. Knowing the pain and impact on so many, and even the danger of these issues, Frederic and Ronza’s concern led them to collaborate with all of these amazing partners to produce Shape.  “We want people to leave with a willingness to do something, whether that be learning more, talking more, or empathizing more, our goal is to reduce stigma by bringing these issues to light through the power of the arts,” said Frederic and Ronza.  Click here to purchase tickets online.

Agency News

Mental Health America recognizes Adult & Child Health will Gold Bell Seal

Adult & Child Health received the national Gold-level Bell Seal certification from Mental Health America, which recognizes policies, practices and benefits supporting employee mental health and wellbeing.  Every year since 2019, Mental Health America has recognized employers for implementing policies and practices to improve employees’ mental health. Companies across all sectors undergo a 54-point evaluation that includes surveys of employees.  Adult & Child Health employs more than 600 people in southern Indiana, with areas of focus on behavioral health, primary care and treatment for substance use addictions.  “The work our team members perform on a daily basis is challenging, but they continue to live our mission of providing access to quality care for all who need it on a daily basis,” said Dr. Christine Negendank, Adult & Child Health Regional President and Chief Medical Office. “This recognition from Mental Health America is a testament to our team members and the work they do in order to make Adult & Child a great place to work.”  Part of Adult & Child’s recognition comes from a three-pronged strategy to address employee mental health:  1) Adult & Child’s employee assistant program provides mental health services, including short-term counseling and provider referrals. The average time between an employee inquiry and their first session with a provider is five business days. The EAP program provides up to five free in-person or virtual therapy sessions.  2) The HOPE Taskforce is a safe place for non-managerial staff members to convene to discuss work stressors, life stressors, mental health resources and coping strategies in a space that encourages colleagues to support one another.  3) The GROW committee is for leaders to convene and develop support systems for one another.  Mental Health America is the nation’s leading national nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and illness prevention. Its Bell Seal awards recognize an average of fewer than 300 American companies per year.

Sarah Miller, PMHNP-BC

Sarah Miller works with the addictions team, general psychiatry for adolescents and adults, and the competency restoration team. She is board-certified as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Her specialties are working in addictions and with people who experience serious mental illness.

Miller graduated from Indiana University with a psychology degree and went back to school for nursing. She received her nursing degree from Indiana Wesleyan University and worked in a nursing home and also spent time working in a group home with adolescents. She received her master’s degree from Vanderbilt University.

She enjoys hanging out with her family and her two dogs, and going to sporting events.

Joanna Chambers, MD

Dr. Joanna Chambers is a psychiatrist who began seeing Adult & Child Health patients in November 2021. She graduated from Medical College of Georgia with her Doctorate of Medicine in 1996 and completed her residency in psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. In addition to bringing a wealth of experience, she currently serves as an associate professor at Indiana University School of Medicine where she teaches Clinical Psychiatry. She is certified in Addiction Medicine and has a special interest in treating pregnant and postpartum women. She is President of the American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry Organization as well as a sitting member of many medical association boards. Recently, she has won the Residents’ Award for Teaching Excellence in 2020 from Indiana University and has received “Best Doctors Award” in 2010, 2011, and 2014. Dr. Chambers is incredibly active in the medical, academic, and research realms of medicine. She is currently accepting new patients on Wednesdays.