Orwigsburg, PA – Access Services has expanded its telepsychiatry program to include Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. Access Services currently utilizes telepsychiatry in a wide variety of settings including outpatient and mobile crisis. When they started offering services in Fort Washington, they realized that rural Orwigsburg did not have access to psychiatric prescribers. This telepsychiatry program expansion is launched with longtime partner Array Behavioral Care, a national telepsychiatry service provider organization.
Telepsychiatry is a delivery of psychiatry through real time videoconferencing. It is proven to be an effective form of care delivery and a convenient, cost-effective way to safely expand psychiatric support without the challenge of staffing an in-person psychiatry provider.
Mental Health in Pennsylvania
Mental health is a top concern in Pennsylvania. There is a statewide average of 179 providers per 100,000 in population, which is below the national average of 214 to 100,000.[1] This comes out to one mental health provider per 600 individuals.[2] Of the approximately 12.9 million people living in Pennsylvania, 4% of adults live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression with many more living with any mental illness such as depression or anxiety.[3] Only 35% of the state need for mental health services is met.[4]
In Schuylkill County, where Orwigsburg is located, there is one provider per 1610 individuals.[5] With telepsychiatry, Access Services is bringing ten hours of psychiatric services per week from a provider certified in both adult and child and adolescent psychiatry to the community. Access Services continues to transform the communities in which they operate by expanding telepsychiatry services and using innovative programs. In addition to offering services in outpatient settings, they utilize telepsychiatry in their mobile crisis program. This allows them to bring psychiatric services to individuals experiencing a crisis without them having to leave their home or other location.
“Telepsychiatry gives communities unprecedented access to behavioral health care specialists. We are pleased that Access Services has chosen to expand their telepsychiatry program to reach even more people throughout Eastern Pennsylvania. Telepsychiatry is a great solution, not only in Pennsylvania, but also in many other states across the nation where there is significant mental health need and a shortage of psychiatry providers” said Shawn Ball, Chief Operating Officer at Array.
About Access Services
Access Services has been empowering individuals and their families in Eastern Pennsylvania through community-based, innovative special needs and disability services since 1976. It is their mission to provide those in need with companionship, resources and opportunities to grow as part of a community in their Eastern Pennsylvania locations in Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton, Schuylkill, Berks, Monroe and Carbon Counties. Access Services has demonstrated consistent growth throughout our forty-year history and are committed to providing innovative services to children and adults living with developmental, behavioral and mental health challenges.
About Array
Array Behavioral Care (formerly InSight + Regroup) is the leading and largest telepsychiatry service provider in the country with a mission to transform access to quality, timely behavioral health care. Array offers telepsychiatry solutions and services across the continuum of care from hospital to home with its OnDemand Care, Scheduled Care and AtHome Care divisions. For more than 20 years, Array has partnered with hundreds of hospitals and health systems, community healthcare organizations and payers of all sizes to expand access to care and improve outcomes for underserved individuals, facilities and communities. As an industry pioneer and established thought leader, Array has helped shape the field, define the standard of care and advocate for improved telepsychiatry-friendly regulations. To learn more, visit www.arraybc.com.
[1] Pennsylvania Population Health Dashboard. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.haponline.org/Initiatives/Population-Health/Pennsylvania-Population-Health-Dashboard
[2] Pennsylvania Rankings. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/pennsylvania/2017/rankings/schuylkill/county/outcomes/overall/snapshot
[3] Mental Health Resources in Pennsylvania. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.rtor.org/directory/mental-health-pennsylvania/
[4] Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/mental-health-care-health-professional-shortage-areas-hpsas/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D
[5] Pennsylvania Rankings. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/app/pennsylvania/2017/rankings/schuylkill/county/outcomes/overall/snapshot
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