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NEWS

Adult & Child Health Welcomes New Doctors to Indianapolis Clinic

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Adult & Child Health (A&C) is pleased to announce two new physicians joining the Garfield Park clinic. Dr. Joe Banks and Dr. Joanna Chambers are the newest physicians to join the growing clinic and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organization. They are the newest additions to the Garfield Park clinic located at 234E. Southern Ave., Indianapolis. 

As A&C continues to keep pace with the demand for primary care, Dr. Banks’ addition to the healthcare team is welcomed. “Dr. Banks brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of our patients’ needs. I am very excited to welcome him to the team,” said Jeremy Tuterow, Practice Manager at Garfield Park. “He provides top-notch primary care services with a strong passion for providing community-based care focused on social determinant factors to bring the best outcomes possible for our patients.”

Dr. Joe Banks is a primary care physician with his Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from Nova Southeastern University College of Medicine. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in Jamaica Queens, New York City. He brings significant family medicine and primary care experience, working to treat Hoosiers across the state since 2008. Dr. Banks joined Adult & Child Health in at the end of 2021 and is currently accepting new patients.

Additionally, A&C welcomes a new psychiatrist to the healthcare team. Dr. Joanna Chambers is a psychiatrist who began seeing Adult & Child Health patients in November. 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. Incredibly active in the medical, academic, and research realms of medicine, we are happy to welcome her. Dr. Chambers is currently accepting new patients on Wednesdays.

“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Chambers,” said Dr. Christine Negendank, Chief Medical Officer. “Her knowledge and strong reputation for quality care makes her a great addition to the Adult & Child Health team. As an active member of the medical community, we’re looking forward to the impact her care has on the surrounding neighborhoods and our patients who are seeking compassionate, empathetic care.”

Both Dr. Banks and Dr. Chambers are accepting new patients. Appointments can be scheduled by calling the Adult & Child Health scheduling center at 1-877-822-5122.

Adult & Child Health is an accredited nonprofit primary care, behavioral health, and social services provider with multiple locations in central Indiana. We strive for caring communities, where every child, adult and family have the opportunities they need to live healthy, happy, productive lives. For more information about Adult & Child Health programs, please contact Tina Serrano, Director of Strategic Initiatives, at 317-882-5122.

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How to care for YOU this election season.

Your vote matters, and so does your mental health. We live in a time of information overload — 24-hour news cycles, unlimited access to social media and our own personal stresses of daily living. Add in a presidential election year and it is no wonder that a survey from the American Psychiatric Association reported that 43% of U.S. adults are feeling more anxious in 2024 than they did in 2023 (American Psychiatric Association, 2024). Feeling more emotions around an election season is normal and can help us stay engaged in the political process. However, living with these intense emotions for too long can take a toll on our well-being. No matter which side of the political spectrum we’re on, many of us feel stressed by the state of American politics. A recent survey showed 73% of U.S. adults feel anxious about the upcoming election, and 53% said it’s affecting their mental health (American Psychiatric Association, 2024). So, how can we stay engaged with politics while also caring for our well-being?How Stress Affects UsOur brains are built to handle and even benefit from short bursts of stress. In small doses, stress can help us focus, tackle challenges, and grow as people. However, when we experience long-term stress, it can negatively affect our brains and bodies. We might start to notice muscle tension, difficulty with sleep or headaches. Over time, stress can even weaken our immune systems, leading to stomach issues, heart disease, weight gain and increased risk of stroke (APA, 2023). How to manage stress this election season. 1. Set boundaries around social media.“Setting boundaries” is a trendy phrase, but how do we limit our social media to help our mental health? Social media is often at our fingertips, so it can be easy to get caught in a doom scroll. Try This: 2. Be mindful of the type and amount of news you take in.We can get news any time, any place and anywhere, but this constant intake can take a toll on us. Try This: 3. Keep it in perspective.It’s easy to find ourselves in information overload and unsure of what we can do to make a difference. This can leave us feeling helpless. Try This: 4. Take care of YOU.When we take care of ourselves, we have more energy to care about what is happening in the world around us. Think about what has helped you manage stress in the past or try a new activity. Try This: References

Agency News

KENDRICK FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVE 2.0

The Kendrick Foundation is pleased to announce the school-based mental health initiative (SBMHI) 2.0. This is a continuation of a successfully established partnership between Adult & Child Health, Centerstone, Youth First, and the county’s four public school systems. This initiative furthers our commitment to improving the mental health of all Morgan County residents. “SBMHI 2.0 has involved an extension of a tremendous amount of work by our grantees and schools over the last few years,” said Amanda Walter, M.D., Kendrick Foundation Board President. “We launched the initial three-year SBMHI in July 2021 to address increased mental health challenges heightened by the pandemic and greater societal issues. Based on the success and continued community benefits of this initiative, we are excited to continue building upon and supporting this effort for another three years.”In December 2021, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory highlighting the urgent need to address the nation’s youth mental health crisis, outlining the pandemic’s unprecedented impacts on the mental health of America’s youth and families, as well as the mental health challenges that existed long before the pandemic. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, recent national surveys of young people have shown alarming increases in the prevalence of certain mental health challenges. Mental health is shaped by many factors, from genes and brain chemistry to relationships with family and friends, neighborhood conditions, and larger societal forces and policies. In Morgan County, adults report an average of 5.3 poor mental health days per month and 17% report frequent mental distress. Morgan County has higher rates of death by suicide than the state. Many Morgan County residents also lack adequate access to mental health providers. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, many mental health conditions first appear in youth and young adults, with 50% of all conditions beginning by age 14 and 75% by age 24. One in six youth have a mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression, but only half receive any mental health services. Early treatment is effective; it can help young people stay in school and on track to achieving their life goals. In fact, the earlier the treatment, the better the outcomes and lower the costs. Untreated or inadequately treated mental illness can lead to high rates of school dropout, unemployment, substance use, arrest, incarceration, and early death. Schools can play an important role in helping children and youth get help early. Schools also play a vital role in providing or connecting children, youth, and families to services. School-based mental healthservices bring trained mental health professionals into schools; this helps individual youth and also serves to connect youth and families to more intensive resources in the community. “Our grantees and local educational institutions continue to go above and beyond to support the mental health needs of youth and families by providing mental health services, supports, and resources to thousands of Morgan County residents, reducing stigma, and creating a culture that supports mental health and wellbeing for all,” said Keylee Wright, M.A., Kendrick Foundation Executive Director. “Maintaining healthy children and families requires all of society—including policy, institutional, and individual changes in how we view and prioritize mental health.” As part of the SBMHI 2.0, students across each public school district in Morgan County will continue to have access and opportunity to participate in supportive voluntary mental health services consisting of individual, family, group, and/or case management provided by: Adult & Child Health – Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation, Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Martinsville, and Monroe-Gregg School District Centerstone – Eminence Community School Corporation Youth First – Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation and MSD of Martinsville School-based and school-linked mental health services reduce barriers for youth and families in obtaining needed treatment and supports, especially for communities with decreased access to mental health providers. School-based mental health programs are a voluntary service approved through caregiver consent and delivered by trained mental health professionals, such as psychologists, counselors, and social workers. Funding for the SBMHI includes: Initial Project Period (July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024) Total expenditure: Nearly $4 million Kendrick Foundation contribution: Over $1.6 million SBMHI 2.0 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) Total expenditure: Nearly $1.8 million Kendrick Foundation contribution: Over $620,000 Funding Sources Kendrick Foundation Collaborating mental health grantee organizations Morgan County educational institutions Government grants and contracts Private funding Formed from the proceeds of the sale of the Kendrick Memorial Hospital in 2001, the Kendrick Foundation invests in conditions that support the physical and mental health of all Morgan County residents. To learn more about how the Kendrick Foundation is leading health initiatives for Morgan County, please visit kendrickfoundation.org.

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.