FRANCISCAN ALLIANCE AND ADULT & CHILD HEALTH ANNOUNCE HEALTH CLINIC TRANSITION
Franciscan’s Neighborhood Health Center Transitions to Adult & Child Health INDIANAPOLIS – Franciscan Health Indianapolis, a nationally recognized hospital and physician network, and Adult & Child Health, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Look Alike and Community MentalHealth Center (CMHC), have joined together to better address the needs of underserved persons in Central Indiana. Since 1997, Franciscan Health has owned and operated the Neighborhood Health Center located at 234 E. Southern Ave. in Indianapolis. On April 1, 2019, Franciscan Health will transfer ownership and operation of the clinic to Adult & Child Health. The addition of the Neighborhood Health Center will mark Adult & Child Health’s 4th FQHC clinic opening in the past 18 months. Approved by HRSA as a FQHC Look Alike in 2017, Adult & Child Health offers family medicine in conjunction with behavioral health and social services it provides as a community mental health center. Integrating primary health services with mental health and addictions treatment allows Adult & Child to focus on the whole health needs of communities and persons served. RELATED CONTENT: Adult & Child Health Advances Affordable Housing Through Two Major Development Projects For nearly 30 years, Franciscan Health’s Neighborhood Health Center has been a vital resource for residents in southern Indianapolis, many of whom have limited ability to pay for health care. Building upon the historical role of the center, the organizations believe Adult & Child’s combination of FQHC and CMHC services will bring greater access and breadth of services to surrounding neighborhoods in the area. “Franciscan Health is pleased to work together with Adult & Child Health,” said Jim Callaghan, MD, CEO of Franciscan Health. “Adult & Child Health is a leader in providing comprehensive mental and physical health. Their mix of services will help ensure patients receive the resources they need to live full and healthy lives.” Several months in the making, Franciscan Health and Adult & Child Health have coordinated their efforts to address the complex care needs of persons served by the Neighborhood Health Center. The organizations have established a 90-day period during which current providers will work with incoming providers to assure an effective transition of care for each patient. Beyond the personal “warm hand off” occurring between providers in the 90-day period, Franciscan Health will make patients’ medical histories available for continuity of care with Adult & Child Health providers. RELATED CONTENT: Adult & Child Health Services Awarded Federal Qualified Health Center Look Alike Status The alignment between Franciscan Health and Adult & Child Health extends beyond the April 1 transition of the Neighborhood Health Center. Dedicated protocols have been established to improve communication and coordination of care for shared patients. Franciscan Health and Adult & Child Health expect their new affiliation will close gaps in the health care continuum and improve patient outcomes by addressing access to care and social determinant disparities common to underserved, low-income communities. At 234 E. Southern Ave., Adult & Child Health will provide a full continuum of outpatient family medicine and accept patients of all ages. The clinic at 234 E. Southern will be staffed by Dr. Mark Striebel, Dr. Lisa Koers, and a Family Practice Nurse Practitioner. The clinic will serve as a comprehensive health home for acute and chronic medical conditions, sick visits, sports physicals, vaccinations, behavioral health, and disease prevention services. About Franciscan Alliance: A trusted leader in providing faith-based, integrated health care, Franciscan Health brings together the latest technology, innovative procedures and the brightest, most compassionate people to serve our patients in Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. About Adult & Child Health: Adult & Child Health strives for caring communities, where every child, adult and family has the opportunity to live healthy, happy lives. Accredited by the Joint Commission, Adult & Child is leading provider of life-enhancing physical, social, and behavioral services in central Indiana. For more information about Adult & Child, please contact Dan Arens, Chief Strategy Officer, at 317-882-5122 or [email protected]
Spotlight On: The Addictions Team
Mental illness and addiction are cousins. They’re related. For those who are addicted or dealing with mental illness, they share a similar bone structure and can often trace their lineage back to the same type of pain. Adult & Child Health knows this and has always offered support to addicted people. However, the opioid crisis hit addictions treatment in Indiana hard. The addictions team at Adult & Child Health was no exception. It forced this service line to make a decision in the face of such a heavy burden: to strengthen or to snap. It chose to strengthen. How Adult & Child Health is serving those who are addicted The addictions team rebuilt in 2017. It wanted to rally and meet the community’s significantly increasing needs. Over the last year and-a-half, the addictions team and its leadership partnered to grow and develop the best team and service structure. Adult & Child Health hired nine licensed clinical addictions counselors. It also created a working relationship with every service line that could offer substance abuse assistance. The opioid crisis has strained the Addictions Team’s efforts from day one. That said, the team’s “passion and dedication to providing the best quality care makes me proud to be a leader within this team,” said Lauran Canady, director of clinic-based services. “The team works daily to navigate, problem-solve, advocate, and support their clients through their addictions journey. I have recently joined the leadership team of this service and have been very impressed by the commitment and passion each and every one of them have for their clients.” All Adult & Child Health offices have Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselors. They’re also fully integrated into the A&C continuum of care. RELATED CONTENT: How Blue Triangle, a program in which Adult & Child Health partners, helped a homeless man recover How addicted clients find Adult & Child Health Clients enter addictions treatment a few different ways. The Department of Child Services refers addicted clients, or it’s a stipulation for probation. A&C has grown partnerships with probation, Recovery Works and DCS in all communities it’s served over the last two years. “It is a direct reflection of the work that our clinicians do that we have been able to successfully grow these community partners,” Canady said. Adult & Child Health services are voluntary and self-referrals are common. A call to the Call Center (1-877-882-5122) or a visit to Open Access can get them on the right track. “Taking that first step forward in seeking help takes a significant amount of courage and vulnerability for our clients,” Canady said. “We want our clients to know that every time that walk through our doors that making themselves that vulnerable was worth the risk.” Adult & Child Health also screens people who come through Open Access for mental health or physical health issues for substance abuse disorders. From there, the access screener can refer them to any necessary service. It’s common for mental illness to spark and feed substance abuse disorder and vice versa. Because of this, it’s important for this team to employ dually licensed clinicians. They often treat the two at the same time as well as teach how these illnesses affect one another. How does it work? The level of care will always depend on the client. The addictions team currently has three different tiers of group support. The highest support level is the Intensive Outpatient Program. This group meets three times a week for three hours for up to 16 weeks. This is often in conjunction with Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT), where doctors from Adult & Child Health’s primary care clinics oversee the client’s physical health. There are many physical side effects from using and withdrawing from substances. Because of this, treating health complications in tandem with other supports makes sense. Part of MAT can also involve receiving Vivitrol treatment. Vivitrol, a brand name for the substance Naltrexone, blocks an opioid high’s effects for up to 30 days. RELATED CONTENT: Emily is a client of Adult & Child Health’s IOP program. “Over the last year and-a-half, we have been expanding our Medication Assisted Treatment program and are now able to provide it at three of our locations,” Canady said. “This has greatly enhanced the number of clients that we have been able to touch in the communities that we serve.” All these support layers exemplify the Matrix Model. It signifies the use of multiple support layers and applies multiple strategies and techniques to fully equip people to stay sober. The group tries to wrap the client in support. So many factors feed substance abuse. The addictions team addresses as many of them as possible, so addicted clients achieve as much success as possible. Other care levels for addicted clients The next tier down is the Living in Balance group, which is less intensive. It meets for two hours twice a week. Many DCS referrals feel comfortable here. It’s modeled for someone who functions at a higher level and can fit into a full-time work schedule. The Brief Intensive group is for people whose substance use is teetering on the verge of disorder. Participants meet two hours one day a week. They learn more about long-term substance abuse complications and how to combat the compulsion early. Motivational interviewing plays a big role in this type of treatment. Building avoidance skills before physical and mental dependence forms helps participants succeed. Everything the clients learn in each of these groups is evidence-based and considered to be best practice within the industry. RELATED CONTENT: Learn more about Adult & Child Health’s Community Based Treatment for mental illness. What each group has in common Each group includes individual therapy and/or family therapy and skills development sessions. Group treatment has the most success evidence. Individual treatment is also available for those who have social anxiety or who simply aren’t comfortable. The addictions team and Open Access can create tailored treatment plans depending on clients’ circumstances. This is how Adult & Child Health embodies the idea of a continuum of care. Health care in general, but especially among addicted
How Adult & Child Health and Sony teamed up to make a patient’s dream come true
Jeffery Dixon experienced the hard side of life. Estranged from his family and experiencing multiple sclerosis and the effects of a recent stroke, he was living at Wheeler Mission in Indianapolis when he arrived as a patient at Adult & Child Health. That’s where a few employees teamed up to make his dreams come true. He initially worked with Adult & Child’s Adult Transitional Living program, but he was constantly falling due to complications from the MS and the stroke. From there, A&C Community Health Worker Ashley Brown worked closely with Dixon. She led the necessary efforts to move him into an assisted living facility, but at age 29, Dixon couldn’t quite relate with the rest of the facility’s clientele, most of which was 55 years old or older. “I had just met with Jeffery, and he mentioned all he wanted for his place was a (Sony) PlayStation 4,” Brown said. “He had been depressed, and I asked him, ‘What’s something that could make your day go by?’ Sitting in a small room, he’s 29 years old … that has to be devastating, to be sitting in that room and doing nothing.” RELATED CONTENT: How Blue Triangle helped a homeless man recover How Dixon got his PlayStation 4 At the next Integrated Care staff meeting, Brown mentioned Dixon’s PlayStation wish to Robbie Schmidt, a licensed clinical social worker. Schmidt then contacted another coworker, office coordinator Reba Chapple, about the situation at hand. Chapple personally knew a Sony employee and thought he could help. When Schmidt reached out to Sony and explained the story, the company agreed to provide Dixon with a PlayStation4 and a 43-inch TV. “It was an amazing feeling to have helped (even in such a small way) with something that made such a huge impact,” Chapple said, adding that Sony provided the TV and PlayStation just two days after approving the request. “Our patients and clients are our top priority, and this just shows how much we mean that.” After staff laid the groundwork to make Dixon’s wish a reality, A&C staff and Sony scheduled an installation for November. Brown sneaked Dixon away, hoping to surprise him. That allowed the folks at Sony an opportunity to hook up the TV and the game console before he returned. “She took me to get something to eat, we came back, and that was there,” Dixon said of the TV and console. “I was real excited. That was all I needed, and she got that.” RELATED CONTENT: See how Adult & Child Health’s Transitional Living program helps its clients Dixon still has work to do There’s only one problem that remains. The stroke rendered Dixon with limited mobility in his right hand. He’s currently undergoing occupational therapy to regain use of the hand, and he hopes to be able to play his video games by this time next year. The multiple sclerosis forces Dixon to walk with a cane, although he can walk a few feet unassisted. He has a wheelchair, but doesn’t use it. He says he hasn’t fallen since he moved into the assisted living facility. “Jeffery is very prideful, and I would be just like him in his situation,” Brown said. “I would rather take a fall than be in a wheelchair, and I think he’s taken the right approach. Once you start utilizing something like that, it’s easy just to not work out and get stronger. With multiple sclerosis, you just don’t know how the symptoms are going to flare.” In the meantime, he’s grateful for Brown, Chapple, Lateryae Wilson, his skills development specialist at Adult & Child, and everyone else who has helped him along the way. “She’s my guardian angel,” Dixon said of Brown. “I have real good people in my life … good people in my corner. I never had that. I’m in a good place right now.” Adult & Child helped Dixon in other ways, too Dixon got more than a PlayStation and a TV out of his relationship with Adult & Child Health. Brown’s hometown church made a monetary donation that helped Dixon purchase items like a laundry basket, trash can, trash bags, washcloths, hygiene products, socks, underwear and other basic necessities. He also received a couch and bed through donations. “Coming from Wheeler Mission to ATL, he didn’t really have anything,” Brown said. “He had a few totes of clothes and a small exercise bike. When he went into assisted living, he had to provide his own things.” Dixon worked with Adult & Child Health’s Team Zenith as well, beginning shortly after he became a client in June, but has since been closed out of the program. That means he doesn’t need that type of help anymore RELATED CONTENT: Learn more about Team Zenith and how it works with clients who deal with mental illness. He’s not done yet Dixon has big plans moving forward. He’s now receiving his occupational therapy for the multiple sclerosis and stroke through the assisted living facility. He hopes to begin taking classes toward his GED once he’s physically capable to attend. Dixon added he wants to utilize Adult & Child Health’s Job Links program once he’s ready to enter the workforce. “I just want to really strengthen my right side, and then get my high school diploma,” Dixon said.
Spotlight on: Adult Transitional Living
At Adult & Child Health, independence is a major goal moving many clients through our service lines. It’s the core tenet of skills work: To help struggling people handle the intricacies of adult life. A lot of clients who benefit from by-appointment skills work out in the community. A&C’s Adult Transitional Living homes exist for those who need support every day. Kimberly Brand is the Team Leader of A&C’s Adult Transitional Living (ATL) site, at 2131 Fairfax Road, on Indianapolis’ southside. It’s a collection of rented buildings comprised of duplex homes that house clients, two to a unit. RELATED CONTENT: Adult & Child Health advances affordable housing through two major development projects How Adult Transitional Living works All mornings begin with medication, weekends and holidays included. The clients at ATL are almost exclusively adults who have serious mental illness who require medication on a day-to-day basis. Staff members make rounds every morning and night throughout the Fairfax location. They distribute medications and make sure clients take them at the right times and in the right dosage. These rounds in the morning and the evening often provide the day’s framework. Adult Transitional Living is not a facility, per se, and the clients who live there are free to come and go as they please. Services such as intensive 1-on-1 skills sessions bolster their daily living skills. They assist in areas like cooking, cleaning, taking care of bills, insurance and budgeting. Participants must pay $425 monthly for rent, which includes utilities. They also have to utilize Adult & Child Health services, and show demonstrated skills needs and a willingness to engage. Watch Adult Transitional Living resident Alice’s story here: Who’s an ideal Transitional Living resident? Many clients come to the program from the community-based service line. Those who are already involved in skills development, but continue to need more intensive support are perfect candidates for the program. Sometimes, ATL functions as a stopgap between independent living and residential treatment at the state hospital. The program can function as an intervention for those who are dangerously close to hospitalization. It can also be a stepping stone for those who are leaving the state hospital who still need to build up to living on their own. The whole point of ATL is to help clients with serious mental illness regulate their lives and gain independence. Those who are in the program are required to need a high level of support and actively work toward their goals with the staff. Brand said some people mistakenly think the program is a homelessness relief program. Therefore, she’s careful to fully screen potential clients to make sure they truly need all of the offered services. RELATED CONTENT: How Blue Triangle helped a homeless man recover How the Transitional Living program is growing As Adult & Child Health grows, ATL grows along with it. New staff positions expand services and heighten the quality of the program. They’ve added a staff nurse, which has streamlined all medication needs. Before adding that position, it was a huge headache for the staff to constantly monitor ever-changing prescriptions for all clients. Now, a an on-site nurse is manages medical needs and handles medication issues. Also, recent hire Nathan Garlick signifies ATL’s venture into providing more on-site services. Garlick is the first staff therapist who works exclusively out of ATL with ATL residents. Many clients are already involved in A&C therapy, but having a therapist on-site all day for appointments and group sessions helps the team immensely. This means fewer issues with transportation, more availability, and a heightened focus on the residents’ needs. Brand is excited for the program to keep growing and innovating. Looking to the future, she notes that some clients need a higher level of care and would benefit from a group-home type model. The impact the staff has on clients’ lives plays out before their eyes daily. Hopefully, the future brings more residents, more services, and more confidence for clients winning back their independence. This is an updated version of an article that originally published Nov. 30, 2017.
