Why Adult & Child Health is an Ideal Agency to Utilize Medication Assisted Treatment
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 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. “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
ADULT & CHILD HEALTH CELEBRATES SOUTH INDIANAPOLIS COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC OPENING
INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 25, 2019) – Adult & Child Health (A&C), a nonprofit health care and social services organization, recently celebrated the opening of its Garfield Park primary care clinic. Located at 234 E. Southern Avenue, the clinic was established in 1980 by Franciscan Health to serve low-income persons. Building on the clinic’s charitable 30-year history and recognizing A&C’s unique capabilities as both an FQHC Look-A-Like and community mental health provider, Franciscan Health and Adult and Child Health coordinated efforts to transfer the clinic to Adult and Child Health. The Garfield Park clinic becomes A&C’s 4th primary care clinic for underserved persons in central Indiana. RELATED CONTENT: Garfield Park Primary Care Clinic Continues Tradition on Indy’s Southside. Several health care leaders joined Adult and Child Health in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. In addition to comments from Adult and Child (A&C) leadership thanking partners and community stakeholders, distinguished guests offering comments in support of the clinic included Dr. James Callaghan, CEO of Franciscan Health; Terry Cook, Assistant Director of Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction; and Dr. Virginia Caine, Director, Marion County Public Health Department. With the Garfield Park site, A&C continues the approach of providing family medicine, behavioral health, and linkage to needed social services all from one location. “I’ve been here a few years and what drew me first to Adult and Child was the vision for whole health care. We’ve been striving to provide integrated care and this clinic and community will move us even more in that direction” said Chief Medical Officer Dr. Christine Negendank. Through integration, A&C expects better coordination of care and ease of access will lead to better health outcomes for persons served. RELATED CONTENT: Adult & Child Health Awarded Federal Qualified Health Center Look-a-Like Status. Adult & Child Health strives 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 services, please contact Adam Wire, marketing and communications specialist, at 317-882-5122 or [email protected].
ADULT & CHILD HEALTH EXPANDS ADDICTIONS SERVICES THROUGH FELLOWSHIP AGREEMENT WITH IU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Adult & Child Health Selected as Training Site for Addiction Psychiatry Fellows INDIANAPOLIS (July 29, 2019) – Adult & Child Health, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit health care agency, has reached an agreement with Indiana University School of Medicine to become a training site for Addiction Psychiatry Fellows. Under the supervision of Dr. R. Andrew Chambers, Director of the IU Addiction Psychiatry Training Program, Fellows at Adult & Child Health will receive education and treatment experience beyond what is available through general addiction psychiatry training. Through the new agreement with Dr. Chambers and Indiana University, Adult & Child Health is strengthening its use of evidence-based practices, increasing access to care, and helping more addicted patients get on the path to recovery. RELATED CONTENT: Franciscan Alliance and Adult & Child Health Announce Health Clinic Transition Dr. Chambers, board-certified in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry, is author of “The 2 x 4 Model: A Neuroscience-Based Blueprint for the Modern Integrated Addiction and Mental Health Treatment System,” (Routledge, New York, 2018), a textbook for the development of fully integrated mental health and addiction treatment services. Drawing upon his research into the neural circuitry of addiction and mental illness, Dr. Chambers’ book serves as core curriculum for Fellows in training in Adult & Child’s health clinics. Prior to joining Adult & Child Health in March 2019, Dr. Chambers’ support for integrated models of care was of interest to A&C, whose clinics focus on the integration of physical and behavioral health services. RELATED CONTENT: Adult & Child Health Advances Affordable Housing Through Two Major Development Projects “The 2 x 4 model has been a great fit for our patients who frequently have co-occurring mental health and addictions disorders,” said Adult & Child Chief Medical Officer Dr. Christine Negendank. In turn, Adult & Child has been a productive training site for addiction psychiatry Fellows. “Adult & Child was hungry to move into the medically assisted treatment (MAT) direction, so it’s been a synergistic match,” Dr. Chambers said. “The way Adult & Child is set up is really nice for developing an integrated approach.” Adult & Child Health also welcomes Addiction Psychiatry Fellows Dr. Kevin Masterson, Dr. Danielle Patterson and Dr. Rohit Shah, who will train within A&C’s community health clinics for a period of one year. Adult & Child Health strives for caring communities, where every child, adult and family can have the opportunity to live healthy, happy lives. For more information about Adult & Child’s health and social services, please contact Adam Wire, marketing and communications specialist, at 317-882-5122 or [email protected]
Garfield Park primary care clinic continues tradition on Indy’s southside
The forecast rain showers on the morning of May 23 ended early on Indianapolis’ near southside, enabling attendees at Adult & Child Health’s ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the Garfield Park clinic opening. It’s fair to wonder if someone high above, who spent a good chunk of his life serving medical needs on that site, had something to do with the skies clearing that morning. A&C owned and operated the clinic since it took over the 234 E. Southern Ave. facility on April 1. But even before Franciscan operated the facility, it had served the Garfield Park neighborhood’s medical needs for decades. RELATED CONTENT: Learn more about Adult & Child Health’s Mission, Vision and Values Before it was a primary care clinic Hawkins Pharmacy sat at the location at the corner of Madison and Southern avenues, just south of Manual High School, for over 40 years. Price “Tug” Hawkins owned and operated the pharmacy at that location from 1954 until he retired in 1995. Hawkins’ son, Barry, who still owns the property, said his father would be proud to see the facility is still providing medical services. The elder Hawkins passed away in 2016. “It would mean the world to him,” Barry Hawkins said. “He lived and grew up in that store. I told him I’d do everything within my power to make sure that facility benefits people.” Hawkins couldn’t remember for certain when Franciscan moved into the facility, but he said it was between 1996 and 1998. Franciscan ran a clinic at the location until it transferred ownership and operation to Adult & Child on April 1. The building houses more than just a primary care clinic. The B.A.B.E. store offers customers baby essentials such as diapers and car seats in exchange for coupons that parents earn by participating in wellness classes. It opened in 2010. RELATED CONTENT: Adult & Child Health Advances Affordable Housing Through Two Major Development Projects Hawkins was born into a family of pharmacists. His grandfather opened Hawkins Pharmacy’s original location across the street from the current facility in 1941. “It was where he grew up, and he had gotten to know the area,” Hawkins said of his grandfather, also named Tug. “A lot of his customers were so attached to him. He would fill prescriptions for people who couldn’t afford it. He was that kind of guy. He just loved helping people, and he enjoyed that.” ‘We’re doing much more’ These days, Adult & Child is still helping people at the clinic. It’s the agency’s fourth primary care clinic in the Indianapolis area, joining the downtown clinic (222 E. Ohio St.,) the Greenwood area clinic (8320 Madison Ave.) and the Franklin clinic (1860 Northwood Plaza). At the ribbon-cutting event, Adult & Child CEO Allen Brown emphasized the facility is more than just a primary care clinic, thanks in part to the agency’s myriad other services it provides. “When Adult & Child opens a primary care clinic like this, we’re doing much more,” Brown said. “We’re also a gateway for other types of services. So someone might come here for primary care, but they may need mental health services. They may need addiction services. They may need housing. They may need transportation. They may need jobs. So this program is a door for multiple services.” After the ribbon-cutting, attendees enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and enjoyed a tour of the facility. Among the attendees, which included employees, community partners and other dignitaries, perhaps the most flattering statement came from Dr. Virginia Caine, Marion County Health Department director. “This is the clinic to beat, and the standard for all community health centers,” she said, shortly before the ribbon-cutting. While Tug Hawkins couldn’t be there in person to concur, Barry Hawkins said his father would offer some simple advice if he could. “Continue the tradition,” Hawkins said. “My dad would be extremely happy right now the way this worked out. I hope he’s looking down smiling. I’ll continue to pursue his wishes.”
