Practical Tools for Behavioral Health Staff Supporting the Medical Care of People with Serious Mental Illness-View Presentation Slides

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The document is an outline for a webinar organized by the American Psychiatric Association on July 9, 2020, titled “Practical Tools for Behavioral Health Staff Supporting the Medical Care of People with Serious Mental Illness.” This webinar aims to educate behavioral health staff on how to effectively support the medical care of individuals with serious mental illnesses (SMI). The session offers continuing education credits for physicians and psychologists and is hosted by Dr. John S. Kern, a Clinical Professor from the University of Washington.<br /><br />The webinar emphasizes the distinct role of behavioral health teams in managing, rather than treating, medical conditions. Key learning objectives include understanding the case manager's role in supporting medical health, accessing high-quality information, and using tools to aid clients' health improvement efforts.<br /><br />Behavioral health staff are advised to be well-versed in medical conditions affecting their clients, such as hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, and to use reliable information sources like Medline Plus, WebMD, and the Mayo Clinic for guidance. An emphasis is placed on the importance of nurturing personal relationships to facilitate meaningful behavioral changes in clients.<br /><br />Participants are encouraged to employ strategies for health behavior changes incrementally and to support clients in navigating medical systems, advocating for their needs, and fostering effective communication with healthcare providers. The document also briefly discusses the case of "Jeff," a client with schizoaffective disorder and accompanying medical issues, as a practical example of how behavioral health staff can support a client’s medical appointments and follow-up care. <br /><br />The webinar concludes with steps for claiming continuing education credits, promoting the SMI Adviser mobile app, and announcing an upcoming webinar on bipolar depression treatment.

Keywords

Behavioral Health

Serious Mental Illness

Medical Care Support

Continuing Education

Case Management

Health Behavior Change

Medical Conditions

Healthcare Communication

SMI Adviser

Bipolar Depression