One of our core principles for Providence Behavioral Health is to meet patients when and where they need our services and support. In recent months – especially with the stresses of COVID-19 – we’ve developed some effective new strategies to support you, your patients and fellow employees.
Not surprisingly, behavioral health needs have skyrocketed the past few months during the COVID-19 pandemic – among our patients, providers and care teams. Just as one example, telehealth visits with our Behavioral Health providers have risen exponentially. The Behavioral Health team had to quickly transform the way care was provided from in-person therapy to a virtual therapy option. This transition to virtual therapy has allowed care to continue without delaying patient care.
Telehealth visit volumes - 2020
|
Month |
# of completed telehealth visits |
|
January |
8 |
|
February |
12 |
|
March |
1,725 |
|
April |
6,142 |
|
May |
7,679 |
|
June |
7,533 |
Providence Behavioral Health has moved quickly to adopt and expand effective strategies to support patients, providers and employees.
Supporting patients with peer-to-peer support
“Hi, my name is Jon. I’m calling to see how you’re doing today. I work for Providence, and I see you were discharged recently from the Emergency Department. How are you?” Jon has this conversation many times every day.
He and two other peer support specialists are part of BOB – Better Outcomes through Bridges – a Providence Behavioral Health program. It is partially funded by the support of generous donors to Providence Foundations of Oregon.
The BOB peer specialists connect regularly with behavioral health patients who have been discharged from Providence hospitals in Medford, Hood River, Newberg and Portland. The team usually connects with discharged patients by phone, although they sometimes visit patients at their homes, in shelters, on sidewalks or even at camp sites.
Thanks to BOB, visits to Providence emergency departments have decreased on average 42% for patients who have engaged with the BOB team.
SilverCloud: a tool to support providers and their patients
In April 2020, the Behavioral Health team implemented SilverCloud – an online cognitive behavioral therapy platform – for Providence Medical Group providers to prescribe for their patients. Patients can choose from nine different programs. Topics include depression, anxiety, insomnia, stress, diabetes, and chronic pain with depression and anxiety. To date, more than 500 PMG patients in Oregon have been prescribed SilverCloud to help support their mental health and well-being.
Read this at-a-glance clinician overview of SilverCloud to help you talk with your patients about whether SilverCloud is right for them.
Outreach to front-line COVID-19 caregivers (employees)
While Providence has offered several programs to support Providence caregivers during the last several months, the programs require caregivers to ask for help. Now Providence Behavioral Health is proactively reaching out to those caring for patients with COVID-19.
The first outreach phase is to caregivers in high-impact areas such as the Emergency Department and COVID-19 inpatient units. The outreach begins with a phone call from a behavioral health expert to check on the caregiver and see how they’re doing.
We want to caregivers know we understand the stress and emotions they may be experiencing, and to discuss resources they can access for support. Providence Behavioral Health wants front-line caregivers to know they are cared for and supported.
Resources to support Providence providers and employees
Caregiver health services
For COVID-19, call 949-534-4450.
All other concerns, call 503-216-3200.
Behavioral health concierge
Up to 10 free visits per issue, per year
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday - Friday.
Call 503-537-5900. Select Option 3.
Non-employed Providence providers also can access the concierge service.
https://oregon.providence.org/our-services/b/better-outcomes-thru-bridges/
Robin Henderson, Psy.D., chief executive, Behavioral Health, Providence Medical Group
About the Author
More Content by Providence Pulse Content Team
