Written by Nate Ortiz. Originally published in Lynchburg Business Magazine 

In any given year, approximately one in 25 adults in the United States experiences a serious mental illness that substantially interferes with or limits one or more major life activities and one in 10 employees suffers from depression. This includes the ability to perform effectively or efficiently at work.Mental Illness can cause serious disruption in everyday life.

In my role, I am responsible for managing a large team of behavioral health care providers, as well as several administrative team members. Being surrounded by behavioral health care all day means my team is usually more knowledgeable about mental health, but being knowledgeable about mental health and actively prioritizing it in your life can be two different things. My team deals with the stress of the patients and administrators we work with day to day, and if we are not careful, that can weigh heavy on us and lead to burnout.

As a manager, I acknowledge the struggles that my team faces and make an effort to provide mental health and emotional support, in addition to leadership. Specifically, our providers spend all day listening and often do not always have the opportunity to be heard. They are also spread throughout the country, so we provide many opportunities for providers who are remote to interact with their peers and administrators, to help them not feel alone in this, along with the rest of the team.

While I certainly do not have this all perfectly figured out, I have learned some valuable lessons about making mental health a priority along the way:

One of my methods is to get the team together on a regular basis, so my assistance is consistent and the team can understand who we are collectively.

By getting together regularly, we are getting to the same mission: we celebrate wins for each other, share the next month’s big picture goals, as well as ways we can help one another to reach those goals. We have found that it is important to have a culture of celebration, of each other, along with small wins.

Creating a culture of collaboration is also very important and I have learned to put in an extra effort to create new ways to collaborate and work together with remote team members. I spend a great deal of my time reaching out to the remote team, to open up those communication and collaboration channels as much as possible, to make that the culture. My team also consistently communicates by video, which removes that distance.

I keep an open door policy both for my in person team members and remote colleagues. With these open door meetings, my goal is not only to be available to coach professionally, so each person can become the best employee, but to help each person become their best selves.

I also like to preach the importance of work/life balance, which is a part of my practice for mental wellness and self-care. Personally, I have to weigh opportunity costs and be ok with being less connected to work at times. I have had to make a clean break between work and home life, and it has benefited my well-being and my family. I am not the only person preaching work/life balance here at our Lynchburg office, but not everyone is naturally like that.

I do my best to lead others in discovering that balance, by learning to build appropriate boundaries, before potentially more things enter their lives, such as marriage and children. I describe work/life balance as having a quality of life, of looking at the whole thing. If there is not a balance, then your whole life is affected. Whether you are a younger or an older employee, work remotely or in-person, we are all dealing with the same issues at work.

You are also the same person whether you are or are not at work; you cannot just turn off who you are personally. If you are going through a tough time at work, you need to give yourself the grace to know you will not always be “on.”

What else can you do? Take that 10-minute walk. It is something small, but see it as an investment rather than a break. There is a tendency to think 10 minutes away from your desk is a break or slacking, but it is more of an investment of time to come back and do what needs to be done, for both yourself and others, because you will be less stressed and therefore more productive.

This applies to both administrative team members and the providers I supervise. If you’re not keeping yourself cared for, if you’re not well at work, not only do you suffer, but the people depending on you suffer as well.

Written by Shelley Sellinger, M.D. Originally posted on Becker’s Hospital Review

There is little debate that telemedicine has carved out a powerful niche in health care. Rapid growth of remote care models in recent years underscores the opportunity for both providers and patients alike. Yet, as health care organizations continue to adopt telemedicine models, many find that one all-important strategy is often overlooked: remote provider engagement.

It’s not a surprising revelation. While many providers find the telemedicine career path attractive because of the flexible scheduling options or ability to work remotely, they are often unprepared for the disconnected nature of the work and can be left feeling like they’re in a vacuum. That’s why it’s essential for organizations to consider how they can create unified, interconnected teams across geographies to support remote provider needs, and in turn, optimal care delivery.

Consider, for instance, the experience of my organization, InSight Telepsychiatry, which provides on-demand, scheduled and direct-to-consumer telepsychiatry services. With our providers spread remotely across the nation and even the world, InSight took note of the potential engagement struggles we as remote staff could experience.

To address this challenge head-on, InSight developed a comprehensive remote provider engagement strategy designed and led by a team of remote providers. Through the establishment of a provider engagement committee, we are now able to bring our offsite teams together in much the same way we connect with patients—virtually—to ensure providers feel connected and receive the support they need.

Considerations for Remote Provider Engagement

Like any provider community, telepsychiatry providers need access to clinical growth opportunities, peer collaboration and an understanding of priorities to feel part of the comprehensive provider team. The provider engagement committee serves as a critical resource for delivering clinical feedback, providing professional development opportunities, establishing a shared vision with managers and giving providers a voice in the organization.

As any worthwhile initiative, remote provider engagement programs require organizational resources from both a time and direct cost perspective. Consider administrative time that must be allocated for clinical supervision and staff development activities that may require monetary investment. Ultimately, a successful remote workforce model requires traditional management practices to be adapted to ensure remote providers feel engaged and part of a team. Designing a thorough program where a remote team has both professional development and social needs met is a crucial piece.

Advancing Engagement Strategies

As a remote provider who helped design and lead charge of our engagement committee at InSight, it’s important to remember that thoughtful program design is key. Through a number of strategic initiatives, we’ve been able to build an effective and sustainable program that addresses remote provider challenges head on while also meeting our unique needs as a company. Videoconferencing technology is used administratively to connect remote providers and team members, creating opportunities to collaborate, share feedback or ask questions when facing a challenging or new situation. Other key initiatives as part of our engagement program include the following.

Mentoring programs

Especially for new telepsychiatry providers, mentoring programs provide an effective way to onboard providers to organizational clinical processes and best practices for success. During the onboarding process, it’s important to have the opportunity to connect with someone who is not an administrator, as that can be intimidating at times. Connecting with another provider allows a peer relationship to form and can increase the comfort level of the new provider. Mentors connect with mentees by video or phone and are available for collaboration through other means as needed.

Clinical check-ins

Regularly scheduled clinical check-ins allow medical directors and telepsychiatry providers to discuss their work, ask questions or voice concerns. Telepsychiatry providers review performance and go through patient charts in detail at these meetings as well as connect with remote providers on a more personal level. Health care organizations can further extend clinical check-in strategies to include group sessions, allowing collaboration with multiple telepsychiatry providers to discuss best practices, difficult cases, common issues and any other topics that may arise. Group collaboration can also serve as a platform to support clinical peer review where providers and their colleagues review patient charts in compliance with industry standards.

Provider engagement newsletters

Monthly or bi-monthly newsletters are a great way to keep remote providers updated on organizational happenings, new initiatives or changes to care delivery processes and procedures. In addition, these forums can provide a platform for educating on new evidence and research.

Provider town halls

The town hall model is typically used for high-level discussions regarding organizational updates and announcements to keep remote providers engaged with what’s happening on a macro level. The opportunity for providers and the administrative team to come together is imperative, and the town hall model allows providers to interact with one another and address questions or concerns to the administrative team.

These sessions might be held quarterly, bi-annually or once a year depending on resources and needs, allowing clinical leadership and operations managers to discuss current focus areas for telepsychiatry, changes in strategy or long-term plans. Additionally, this type of forum makes it possible for providers to interact with one another as a group. This allows a chance for providers to meet those who may be located in the same state or work with a similar facility which could then lead to a new peer relationship.

Continuing medical education

Critical to professional development, remote providers need access to continuing medical education opportunities to maintain their licensure. Our organization offers the opportunity to advance learning and earn credits through remote programs similar to providers working in a group setting.

Provider Engagement for Sustainable Telemedicine Models

Growth across the telemedicine field shows no sign of slowing. As the influence of these forward-looking models increases, the need for remote provider engagement strategies cannot be overlooked.

Remote provider organizations can follow suit and take a similar approach by applying this model and tailoring to their specific needs to keep provider teams from becoming disconnected and disengaged. Ultimately, it comes down to ensuring remote providers have the resources they need to succeed and giving them a voice in the organization.

About the author

Shelley Sellinger MD, ABPN is a board-certified psychiatrist from New York specializing in adult services, including anxiety and depression, substance use and addiction, trauma and abuse, and psychopharmacology. Dr. Sellinger has devoted her career to expanding access to behavioral health care. She joined InSight Telepsychiatry to continue that mission and assist patients nationwide.

MARLTON, NJ – InSight Telepsychiatry’s Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Boyce has been appointed to the New Jersey Telehealth Review Commission. He is one of seven thought leaders asked to sit on the Commission.

The Commission was established as part of the New Jersey telemedicine law that was passed in July of 2017. The law created a seven-member commission that will review information from telemedicine and telehealth organizations and make recommendations for policy and law changes to promote and improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of telehealth services in New Jersey.

The NJ Telemedicine bill was signed by Governor Christie on July 21, 2017

Its highlights include:

• It allows New Jersey to join a handful of states that require reimbursement for telemedicine services to the same extent as in-person treatments and consultations.

• It took New Jersey from being one of two states that lacked an official definition of telemedicine, to a state that now defines how telemedicine can and should be safely and appropriately practiced.

• It allows greater access to care for patients previously not covered for telemedicine services. Greater access to care is expected to result in better outcomes for patients with chronic diseases and decrease expenditures over time.

• It allows patients to receive care from the comfort of their own homes when appropriate.

• It removes the requirement for mental health screeners to obtain an unnecessary, special waiver for services provided through telemedicine.

• It allows a large range of providers to practice telemedicine, including: licensed physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, clinical social workers, physician assistants, professional counselors, respiratory therapists, speech pathologists, audiologists and optometrists. This wide range of providers will increase the number of services New Jersey residents can access.

• It involves minimal cost to the state, while providing greater access to care and better outcomes for patients.

“I’m proud of the hard work that was put in to the New Jersey Telemedicine Bill and I believe it truly represents a gold standard for other states,” said Boyce. “This commission will play an important role in ensuring the appropriate growth of telemedicine for increasing access to care across the state. I am honored to be a part of it.”

CEO, Geoffrey Boyce received the Industry Leader Award from the American Telemedicine Association

For the past 10 years, Boyce has advocated for the appropriate use and value of telepsychiatry and has led the development of hundreds of telepsychiatry across the country. In April 2017, he received the Industry Leader Award from the American Telemedicine Association. This annual award is presented to an individual that has made significant contributions to the advancement of telemedicine at federal, state and international levels. He also serves on the advisory board of directors for the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center (MATRC).

Now Boyce, along with the other members of the commission, will play a significant role in communicating with telehealth stakeholders on how and where telehealth can be used to increase access to quality care across the state of New Jersey.

About InSight + Regroup 

InSight + Regroup (now Array Behavioral Care) is the leading and largest telepsychiatry service provider in the US with a mission to transform access to quality behavioral health care.  InSight + Regroup serves hundreds of organizations and individuals in various settings across the continuum of care with its on-demand, scheduled services and direct-to-consumer (Inpathy) divisions.  Given its size, diversity of services and extensive experience and expertise, InSight + Regroup is uniquely positioned to enable scalable telepsychiatry programs across the care continuum.  As an industry thought leader, InSight + Regroup has helped shape the field, define the standard of care and advocate for improved telepsychiatry-friendly regulations. To learn more, visit www.arraybc.com. 

Originally posted on mHealth Intelligence

To Dr. Bruce Miewald, telemedicine licensure isn’t a means to acquire more patients and do more business. It’s an opportunity to reach out and help people in other parts of the country who need his expertise.

The Coeur D’Alene, Idaho-based physician who specializes in child psychiatry is poised to become one of the first in the country to complete the licensure process through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which went live last year. Once completed, he’ll have the chance to work with health systems – and, more importantly, patients – in distant states where access to a psychiatrist is limited.

“I don’t need a business boost – I’m always very busy,” says Miewald, who’s been practicing for 27 years. “But there are places where I can be really useful.”

Miewald’s specialty is in strong demand all across the country. Between 1995 and 2013, the total number of adult and child psychiatrists in the US rose by 12 percent, to just under 50,000. Yet the number of physicians in the country rose by 45 percent during that time span, and the nation’s population increased by 37 percent, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Meanwhile, according to the physician search firm Merritt Hawkins, close to 60 percent of the nation’s psychiatrists are 55 or older and about 48 percent are 60 or older and nearing retirement, making them the fourth-oldest group of doctors practicing among 41 medical specialties.

The need for psychiatrists in behavior care

At the same time, the need for psychiatrists is intensifying.

“As accountable care organizations and managed care organizations seek solutions that meet the Triple Aim of improving care, improving health outcomes and reducing cost, they will increasingly turn to psychiatrists for their help and guidance,” the National Council for Behavioral Health reported in a March 2017 study on the national psychiatric shortage. “The lack of an adequately trained workforce, however, poses a serious challenge in meeting this demand.”

“Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, more Americans are now insured and are seeking treatment,” Dr. Atul Grover, executive vice president of the Association of American Medical Colleges, told Forbes Magazine in a June 2017 story. “Mental health parity laws have resulted in better behavioral health coverage than there was 20 years ago. In addition, demand is higher because there is greater awareness of, and willingness to talk about, mental health issues.”

Miewald, who’s affiliated with Kootenai Health-Coeur D’Alene, is part of Insight Telepsychiatry, a New Jersey-based national telepsychiatry provider. He’d held licenses in the past to practice in Montana and Pennsylvania, and has long used a video-based platform to facilitate his practice.

“I was it – the only child psychiatrist for that population in the five northern counties” of Idaho, he says. “I used to see people who would have to drive 90 miles one way, and driving through Idaho in winter can be kind of interesting. So [telemedicine] gave me a chance to make that easier.”

But there’s a real need for his services in Iowa and West Virginia, and he’s looking to complete the IMLC process to make himself available, through Insight’s network, to hospitals and clinics in those states.

“I’m not seeing that it’s going to be much different from what I’m doing here,” he says. “It’s just that I’d like to help out where I’m needed.”

Casey Papp, InSight’s Quality and Compliance Manager, helped Miewald with the process. They started by supplying background information and filling out attestation and eligibility forms from Miewald’s home state. Once approval was granted in Idaho, they selected additional states within the IMLC network to apply for accreditation.

“Every state is a little bit different in what they want,” says Papp. “You have to make sure you have everything lined up. It’s easier [than before the IMLC was enacted], but it could be even easier.”

Still, Miewald says the compact gives physicians like himself an opportunity to help where they’re most needed. Using a telemedicine platform, he can schedule in blocks of time to see patients in those other states, fitting that in around his own workflow.

“In my experience, I’d say 99 percent of the people think it works just as well” as an in-person visit, he says of the telemedicine platform. “And it saves a lot of time and travel. And with the kids, in some ways they seem to enjoy it more.”

MARLTON, NJ –InSight Telepsychiatry is recognizing the outstanding performance of its providers through its first Provider of the Year Award. Maaz Siddiqui, M.D., a scheduled services telepsychiatry provider, and Suraya Kawadry, M.D., an on-demand services telepsychiatry provider, are the 2018 recipients.

The InSight Provider of the Year Award is an annual award recognizing InSight providers who have displayed outstanding performance during the previous year. The providers are selected based on a number of performance factors, including quality of care, communication skills, flexibility, teamwork and alignment with InSight’s mission. Providers of the Year are celebrated for their exemplary work improving access to behavioral health services to underserved individuals and communities. Winners of the award exhibit excellent customer service to their peers, the staff at the partner sites they serve, the InSight administrative team and, most importantly, patients.

Spotlight on Dr. Siddiqui

The InSight Scheduled Services Provider of the Year Award goes to Dr. Maaz Siddiqui this year for his dedication to his patients and commitment to providing quality telepsychiatry services. Dr. Siddiqui is psychiatrist licensed in Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Jersey (where he resides), and serves primarily partners in outpatient mental health settings. He had an interest in psychiatry throughout medical school and he strongly believes in getting to know his patients, not just prescribing.

“It’s not just a checklist you have to go through,” said Dr. Siddiqui. “I want to know my patients, and I really do enjoy getting to know them.”

He has been with InSight for almost two years. On a typical day, he works 8-9 hours and sees 7-10 patients or more daily. The majority of his work is medication management.

“Dr. Siddiqui has a reputation for being very thorough and time-sensitive to patients’ needs, regardless of how many are on his schedule,” said John DiNicola, InSight’s lead program coordinator of scheduled services. “I can tell when speaking to him that he is passionate about what he does and gives patients the best quality of care—they’re not just a number to him.”

When establishing a provider-patient relationship, Dr. Siddiqui says creating trust from the very beginning is most important. “I’ve heard from other providers that rapport can be a problem, but it isn’t for me,” he said “I let patients know that it might be difficult at first, but I want to establish that trust and rapport from the very beginning, putting their anxiety at ease.”

Dr. Siddiqui is also known for his excellent communication with InSight’s operations team. “He is always quick to inform our operations team of matters that need our attention,” said DiNicola. “He has been a great InSight citizen.”

Spotlight on Dr. Kawadry

The InSight On-Demand Services Provider of the Year Award goes to Suraya Kawadry this year for her hard work and positivity as she increases access to psychiatric care to those in need across the country. Dr. Kawadry is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who lives in Missouri. In the true spirit of telepsychiatry, Dr. Kawadry is licensed not only in Missouri but also Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, New Jersey, Montana, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington. After a per-diem role with InSight during her fellowship, she transitioned to a full-time role working as a crisis telepsychiatrist serving hospitals in the many states where she is licensed.

Dr. Kawadry is regularly complimented for being a pleasure to work with, responsive in her communication, positive and flexible. Dr. Kawadry is always the first telepsychiatry provider to help out her peers by covering shifts when needed.  “The InSight team often hears positive comments from its partners about her,” said April Isik, InSight’s program coordinator of on-demand services.

After she completed her medical school rotations, Dr. Kawadry decided to enter the field of psychiatry since it was the only rotation that she enjoyed and that intrigued her. As an on-demand telepsychiatry provider, Dr. Kawadry now immerses herself in the busy life of a crisis psychiatrist from the comfort of her home. She typically sees 8-13 patients per day in the emergency department or medical floor setting where she does psychiatric assessments and helps to determine the least restrictive and most appropriate level of care for each patient. She also conducts phone consultations with hospital staff to make recommendations regarding orders or disposition.

Dr. Kawadry is well-liked at all of the sites where she works. “She is extremely flexible, responsive and always goes the extra mile,” said InSight scheduler Nicole Prince. “She is great to work with and an even greater person!”

When it comes to clinical care, Dr. Kawadry believes that being a “chameleon” is the most important thing for establishing a provider-partner relationship. “With this line of work, we encounter so many different types of patients in so many different settings,” said Dr. Kawadry. “I think that it is important to always stay true to yourself as a person and as a physician, but at the same time tailor your interview and your demeanor based on the specific patient and setting that is at hand.”

With this honor comes a prize towards attending a professional development conference with InSight and additional public recognition.

“The whole experience of working for InSight has been just wonderful thus far, and I am very grateful,” said Dr. Kawadry. “Receiving this award was certainly a very humbling and rewarding experience.”

Originally published on OPEN MINDS

GETTYSBURG, Pa. (January 21, 2018) — OPEN MINDS announced InSight Telepsychiatry (InSight) as the newest bronze-level partner of The OPEN MINDS Circle–the award-winning online information and education platform with a user-base of over 150,000 health and human service executives. As part of the partnership, InSight, a national leader in the telehealth space, will collaborate with OPEN MINDS to provide telepsychiatry-focused thought leadership throughout 2018 – including an executive web briefing (webinar) and multiple free resources.

“We are excited about our new partnership with OPEN MINDS,” said InSight, CEO, Geoffrey Boyce. “We’ve looked to OPEN MINDS for great industry information for years and look forward to contributing our own expertise to the organization and its members through this partnership.”

Building a solid telebehavioral health strategy

InSight will also be releasing a new white paper on how to build a solid telebehavioral health strategy in conjunction with June’s 2018 OPEN MINDS Strategy & Innovation Institute in New Orleans. The free resource will be available online through The OPEN MINDS Circle platform, as well as at the InSight Telepsychiatry exhibit booth in the institute exhibit hall.

“I’m pleased that we will be expanding our work with the InSight team in 2018. Our last technology survey showed that in the past year, telehealth adoption has almost doubled among provider organizations serving complex consumers. And, InSight’s thought leadership in the telehealth space is needed now more than ever,” said OPEN MINDS Chief Executive Officer, Monica E. Oss. “Through this partnership package, we’re able to join forces with the experts at InSight for the first time. We look forward to collaborating and bringing high-value telehealth content to OPEN MINDS Circle readers in 2018.”

Containing over 500,000 articles, reports, presentations, data sets, how-to tools, and resources from OPEN MINDS and our partner organizations, The OPEN MINDS Circle has grown into the largest information platform in the behavioral health and human service industry. Membership provides access to daily curated email newsletters and the full online information library platform. Learn more or sign-up free at https://www.openminds.com/membership/.

About InSight + Regroup 

InSight + Regroup (now Array Behavioral Care) is the leading and largest telepsychiatry service provider in the US with a mission to transform access to quality behavioral health care.  InSight + Regroup serves hundreds of organizations and individuals in various settings across the continuum of care with its on-demand, scheduled services and direct-to-consumer (Inpathy) divisions.  Given its size, diversity of services and extensive experience and expertise, InSight + Regroup is uniquely positioned to enable scalable telepsychiatry programs across the care continuum.  As an industry thought leader, InSight + Regroup has helped shape the field, define the standard of care and advocate for improved telepsychiatry-friendly regulations. To learn more, visit www.arraybc.com. 

About OPEN MINDS

OPEN MINDS is an award-winning information source, executive education provider, and business solutions firm specializing in the behavioral health and human service field. For thirty years, we’ve been pioneers for change – helping organizations implement the transformational business practices they need to succeed in an evolving market with new policies and regulations.

OPEN MINDS is powered by a national team of experienced executives and subject matter experts with specific expertise and experience in markets of the health and human service field serving complex consumers. Our mission is to improve the quality of care for individuals with complex support needs by improving the effectiveness of those serving them – provider organizations, payer and insurance organizations, government agencies, pharmaceutical organizations, and technology firms. Learn more at www.openminds.com

By: Barry Doan

Original article published on Benefits Pro

The value of an employer’s health benefit strategy is intrinsically linked to its ability to address an employee’s total health—both physical and mental. That’s why overall wellness trends are shifting to better acknowledge the strong connection between a robust behavioral health care benefit and better overall health, ultimately resulting in improved employee productivity.

While many wellness programs today incorporate tactics that promote positive behavioral lifestyle changes, they often fall short of systematically addressing behavioral health conditions that can hinder an employee’s willingness and ability to embrace those needed changes. Altering entrenched behavioral health lifestyle patterns can be difficult, even if it’s a change that would be beneficial for the member. For instance, diabetic employees are much less likely to engage in diet and exercise programs when they are struggling with active depression that robs them of energy, focus and motivation. These members often represent a substantial percentage of those with chronic health conditions who make up a disproportional share of total healthcare expenditures.

This reality is why many companies are setting their sights on comprehensive employee “well-being” as opposed to “wellness” alone. By prioritizing access to both physical and behavioral health care, employers set the stage for more systemic and long-lasting engagement in self-care—and ultimately improve employee well-being, productivity and the bottom line. It’s important to note, however, that while many companies have invested heavily in identifying high-risk, high-cost employees and programs to engage these employees, access to care is still a major obstacle to this change process.

Telemedicine Options into Health Benefit Packages

As part of this shift, many employers are incorporating telemedicine options into health benefit packages as a viable solution for addressing access issues related to traditional in-office care. Telepsychiatry is emerging as a growing opportunity within this movement as an effective means of overcoming common barriers to behavioral health utilization such as stigma, busy lifestyles and poor coordination of services. These models help attract busy and reluctant employees who might otherwise procrastinate getting the help they need.

As a clinical model that leverages videoconferencing technology, telepsychiatry and telebehavioral health are used for evaluations, consultations and ongoing treatment. Employees access this care through live, interactive communication with a licensed psychiatry or behavioral health provider in a private setting. This improved access allows employees to not only address their behavioral health concerns before issues become more acute and costly, but also to reduce the behavioral health impairment that interferes with their ability and desire to engage in employer wellness programs.

The behavioral health challenge

The statistics speak for themselves. Behavioral health issues were the leading cause of disability in 2015, accounting for one-third of new claims.

Depression, for instance, ranks high as an employer health challenge, racking up an estimated $210.5 billion per year — nearly half of which is attributed to workplace absenteeism and productivity losses. In fact, one study points to employer costs as high as $3,386 per individual over a two-year period prior to an employee’s depression diagnosis.

Behavioral health issues often impact the effectiveness of wellness programs directed at physical conditions due to existing co-morbidities. One study found that 45 percent of breast cancer patients also had a psychiatric disorder.

While these statistics may be startling, the good news is that companies can achieve notable return on investment in wellness and complex condition management programs by investing in mental health treatment. In one study, researchers found that for every dollar spent treating depression, $1.55 was spent on the effects of depression in the workplace.

Quantifying the Impact of Behavioral Health Treatment

It’s not always easy to quantify the impact of behavioral health treatment, but human resource managers overwhelmingly agree that a healthy, well balanced employee is a better teammate and more productive worker. Often, the problem is getting employees to utilize the behavioral health benefits that are already available to them.

Consider a common example: A company launches an active lifestyle program that includes tracking daily physical activity as one means of supporting the employee’s goals of improving her health. A single mom in the workforce, who already struggles with mild depression and anxiety, finds it difficult to rise to the challenge of addressing her wellness goals. Feelings of guilt and inadequacy over this “failure” exacerbate her behavioral health conditions, ultimately decreasing her physical activity and lowering her overall health scores. Unfortunately, the wellness coach does not recognize the behavioral health condition that is impairing participation and fails to make an appropriate referral for additional professional support. The employee becomes demoralized, feels even worse and drops out of the program, and an opportunity is lost.

Even when the employee recognizes the underlying behavioral health condition that is compromising her health and happiness, she may have challenges taking the desired action to address it. While an existing behavioral health benefit would cover the employee’s treatment, she still must do the following research:

• Identify what is wrong and what type of provider she needs to find
• Determine what her benefits cover
• Find which providers can she see that are covered
• Schedule her appointment
• Manage the logistics of attending the appointment which may include taking time off and arranging child care and transportation

Taking hold of the telepsychiatry opportunity

Offering telepsychiatry and other behavioral health care services as part of employee benefits is a trend on the rise, and for good reason

When employees can access psychiatrists and therapists from the comfort of their home or another private space, the behavioral health stigmas are reduced, and individuals are more apt to follow through with care plans. Privacy and confidentiality are also stronger with telepsychiatry because online sessions eliminate the potential of individuals seeing someone they know in a waiting room. Many patients also report greater comfort addressing difficult issues while in familiar surroundings.

Additionally, telepsychiatry expands scheduling options and provider choice, opening the door to greater access. Work and family schedules, for instance, can limit the ability of employees to access traditional services provided in an office setting. Through telepsychiatry, employees can schedule appointments in evenings or on weekends in addition to traditional weekday time slots, which reduces absenteeism or tardiness from work.

The reality is that patient satisfaction trends are higher with online psychotherapy as opposed to traditional face-to-face treatment. While telepsychiatry and telebehavioral health are not for every person, this approach to care addresses many of the common barriers to receiving prompt, professional behavioral health treatment that sets the stage for greater overall health and wellbeing.

Employers seeking to achieve the greatest return on health plan investment are wise to consider telepsychiatry and telebehavioral health as means for promoting use of behavioral health benefits. This effective model of care provides the needed framework for improving access to appropriate healthcare resources and empowering employees to take more control of their health.

By: Geoffrey Boyce

Originally published on Behavioral Healthcare Executive

In the world of telehealth, what a difference a few years can make. The industry has moved from burgeoning to mainstream and is seen as a viable model for behavioral healthcare. In fact, industry professional shortages are catapulting adoption and use of telepsychiatry to address unmet psychiatric needs in all states.

The field of telepsychiatry has much to celebrate in recent years, and the outlook ahead is brighter than ever. Here are five top predictions about where telepsychiatry is headed in 2018.

1. Growth of direct-to-consumer telepsychiatry

Consumerism is taking healthcare by storm as individuals demand greater access, convenience and empowerment in their care choices. It’s why the American Telemedicine Association recently named uptake of consumer-driven technology as one of the top five trends for the telemedicine market in 2018.

Thus, it’s understandable why the “anywhere, anytime” access of telepsychiatry continues to drive growth of direct-to-consumer models. As individuals embrace the ability to access care at home or other comfortable locations where a reliable Internet connection exists, continued evolution of this trend is expected.

Consumers will increasingly recognize the advantages of heightened availability that enables scheduling of sessions outside of traditional office hours. Many increasingly find that video-conferencing models tear down communication barriers and reduce stigma—a key factor that otherwise keeps many from seeking behavioral health treatment. Additionally, individuals can look outside of local referral networks to access services, expanding provider options and consumer choice.

2. Increased access through policy/legislation and coverage

Perhaps there is no greater confirmation of telemedicine’s positive impact on care delivery than recent policy and legislation developments. The clear majority of states have enacted or proposed some form of parity regarding insurance coverage of telemedicine.

This activity will likely continue as demand for greater access to behavioral health services soars and stakeholders recognize the benefits of telepsychiatry models.

Additionally, in efforts to address the growing opioid epidemic, President Donald Trump earlier this year declared a public health emergency, calling for expanded telehealth access for Americans in need of care. Telehealth is a valuable solution to help improve care and the overall outlook around this significant public health crisis. To ensure that the addiction and mental healthcare disciplines continue to advance and embrace telehealth, and in turn, increase access to much needed services surrounding this crisis, it will be important for states to closely monitor and enact legislation that considers all types of telehealth. For example, language written to curb the prescribing of schedule II drugs via telehealth might extend to the best-practice prescribing of medication for children with ADHD via telepsychiatry, causing unintended limitations.

3. Positioning for value-based care

The premise of value-based care is higher quality, better outcomes and lower costs. Industry stakeholders increasingly recognize that care delivery must address the whole health of individuals—both physical and behavioral—to achieve sustainable “value.” Individuals are best engaged in their care plans and overall wellness when behavioral health is addressed in tandem with physical illness.

As providers and employers embrace this reality, they are finding that telepsychiatry effectively addresses fragmentation that often exists across the behavioral health continuum. Timely access to behavioral health services—whether emergent or ongoing—improves continuity of care and mitigates the need for higher cost interventions. Especially in multifaceted cases with complex pharmacology, video consultations improve access to multi-disciplinary treatment teams and direct telepsychiatry interventions to improve monitoring and provide ongoing patient engagement.

4. Increased adoption of connected community models

In synch with positioning for value-based care, healthcare communities will continue to see growth of connected community models in 2018. This will be especially evident in progressive communities that recognize the need for a comprehensive, sustainable and multifaceted behavioral health strategy that increases access to care across the continuum.

For instance, communities will continue to realize notable gains in the coming year by integrating telepsychiatry across multiple settings including:

• Emergency departments (EDs): ED physicians often lack the psychiatric resources needed for timely evaluations of critical-need patients. Telepsychiatry helps by speeding up access and ensuring quick triage to the most appropriate level of care.
• Primary care: More than half of all psychiatric drugs today are prescribed by non-psychiatrists due to provider shortages. Telepsychiatrists can provide attractive referral options or a consultative partnership to primary care providers.
• Community-based care settings: Mental health clinics and other community-based organizations often struggle to retain and recruit local psychiatrists. Telepsychiatry brings long-term access to psychiatry providers who are the best fit for an organization’s needs.
• Inpatient units or residential program: Inpatient units or residential programs benefit from additional psychiatric support to make sure a unit has 24/7 coverage and consultative support.
• Medical/surgical floors of hospitals: Medical floors of hospitals often need psychiatric consultations or evaluations to ensure providers are fully treating the patient’s comprehensive health.
• Discharge planning: Telepsychiatry ensures timely continuation of services for discharge planners in need of referral options, where waiting lists in some clinics can reach upwards of 10 weeks.

5. New settings embracing telepsychiatry

The industry is also witnessing significant uptake and use of telepsychiatry in areas outside of the healthcare setting as community organizations recognize the advantages. A few examples of new settings include:

• Community agencies and correctional facilities: These organizations are increasingly engaging with telepsychiatrists to improve access to psychiatric evaluation and treatment.
• Crisis response teams: mobile mental health crisis teams are leveraged to assist individuals in need, offer assessment and decide the best course of action. By bringing telepsychiatrists with them virtually with a tablet or mobile device, the situation can be assessed and managed in real time.
• Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams: Designed as an intensive and highly-integrated approach, ACT teams support better transitions from hospital environments for individuals who are re-entering the community. Telepsychiatrists can attend home visits along with case managers virtually with a tablet or mobile device.
• Schools and universities: Young people need convenient, timely access to mental health services, often requiring specialty providers that are difficult to find. Telepsychiatry is a great solution for meeting students where they are with the right resources.

Looking ahead, the opportunities for leveraging telepsychiatry in new settings are endless as communities creatively address behavioral health needs. The telemedicine industry has come a long way in just a few years, and great momentum exists going in to 2018.

Over the course of a decade, the use of online health care has evolved rapidly both in popularity and technologically. Today, there is a widespread acceptance for easy access to care across the continuum through telehealth, especially with the treatment of behavioral health. Telepsychiatry has given those that have limited access to behavioral health care a chance to seek care at their convenience from any location. Dena Ferrell is no stranger to this progression. Celebrating her 10-year anniversary with the CFG Health Network and InSight Telepsychiatry this year, she has witnessed the expansion of telehealth and telepsychiatry, as well as the increased access to behavioral health treatment.

At the outset of her freshman year of college, Ferrell stepped onto the campus of Rutgers University with dreams of conquering the corporate business world. She enrolled in all of the pre-requisite classes she would need to pursue a business degree, as well as one psychology course.  Ferrell soon discovered business was not the right fit for her. She followed her gut and changed her major to what she knew she would enjoy more – psychology.

“I had some family members with mental illness and always wanted to help people in general, so it was a great fit,” said Ferrell.

Ferrell’s educational background provided the basis for what would result in a long career of service in the behavioral health field.  As InSight’s operations director, Dena is an influential and respected leader across the organization.

Ferrell’s First Steps in Leadership and Impact in Behavioral Health

Ferrell’s first job out of Rutgers was at a partial care program in a community mental health center, where she worked with a small group of patients with severe and persistent mental illness in a vocational rehab setting. Ferrell continued her career in behavioral health at Newpoint Behavioral Health Care in 1995, where she spent 12 years as a New Jersey state Certified Mental Health Screener. She conducted evaluations of adults and children in emergency department (ED) psychiatric crises, consulted with psychiatrists and appropriate dispositions and provided 24 hour coverage on their suicide hotline. Newpoint was a partner of CFG and one of the first organizations to pilot telepsychiatry, so Ferrell was able to be an early telepsychiatry adopter during her work there.

“Telepsychiatry allowed me to establish a treatment plan for a crisis patient very quickly,” said Ferrell. “It was clear to me way back then that telepsychiatry was going to be a very important part in behavioral health moving forward.  Telepsychiatry was not widely used back then and it is so nice to see other programs and services utilizing it now.”

Today, Ferrell still has close ties to the team at NewPoint, who have remained a valued InSight Telepsychiatry and CFG partner since those early days.

Following her stint at Newpoint, Ferrell began her career with the CFG Health Network as an intake coordinator and ED case manager for Virtua Behavioral Health. She coordinated patient referrals to Virtua’s behavioral health unit from crisis centers, medical hospitals and clinicians, gathered all pertinent clinical, medial and demographic information and presented each case to the psychiatrist.

Overtime, Ferrell took on the role of managing CFG’s call center, the Access Center. The Access Center at that time primarily served CFG’s clients, while a small part of the call volume was dedicated to InSight Telepsychiatry, CFG’s growing telemedicine arm. However, as time passed and InSight expanded, a growing amount of the Access Center’s work was dedicated to InSight. InSight grew from serving just a few partners in surrounding states to a national operation with hundreds of partners across 28 states. Today, the Access Center is the main hub for monitoring InSight’s on-demand 24/7 telepsychiatry services.

Taking the Leadership in Behavioral Health

In early 2017, the Access Center rolled-out a new telepsychiatry platform, AccessInSight. Partners generate requests via AccessInSight and cases are automatically assigned to the InSight telepsychiatry provider best suited for that interaction. AccessInSight improves efficiencies for telepsychiatry encounters and allows for advanced data tracking – certainly a big change from the Access Center’s early days!

“The technology for telepsychiatry and telehealth has improved so much since my start,” said Ferrell. “Years ago, we used large, cumbersome equipment that had to be plugged in to various outlets and at the time it was not the norm to talk to someone via video. Today the equipment is much more streamlined and a connection can be made by the click of a button.  Since many people use video in their day to day communications, it is much more accepted now.”

She expects the use of telepsychiatry will continue to grow, especially the direct to consumer services.

“Lawmakers, regulators and insurance payers are now recognizing telehealth as a covered benefit that provides a much-needed service,” said Ferrell. “It seems everyone is recognizing there are better ways of doing things, and telehealth is one of them.”

Along with the growing use of telepsychiatry in the past 10 years, Ferrell has seen growth within InSight as well. She described how InSight has become much more sophisticated in recruiting, onboarding new providers and implementing new programs. The addition of staff over the past decade has been beneficial in keeping up with the volume of partner sites and providers joining the InSight team. InSight has also smartly stayed focused on partnering with like-minded organizations that share InSight’s vision of increasing access to care.

Most people fail to realize what goes on behind the scenes, and the passion that goes into the work and dedication of providing access to behavioral health care. Ferrell’s motivation lies in knowing that in every contract InSight serves for any service line, there is a patient and their family in need of help during a very difficult time of their lives. “I am so happy to be part of that service,” said Ferrell.

Ferrell envisions a bright future for telepsychiatry. She believes the stigma for mental illnesses will decrease, and more people will be open to receiving behavioral health care both in-person and online.

Where does Ferrell see herself in the next 10 years? “I’d love to say retired! I will still be in the mental health field in some capacity.  I have a very good understanding of behavioral health needs and like using that experience to help the patients who need it most.”