Pederson Krag Center Involved In Pilot Program To Help Those With Mental Illness

The Pederson-Krag Center, one of Suffolk County’s leading behavioral healthcare agencies, has joined OptumHealth, one of the nation’s leading health services companies, in an innovative pilot program: The Community Stabilization Pilot Program. This collaboration is one of two such initiatives in the country that have been developed to address issues with stabilization and community integration among identified high-utilization populations whose needs have not been met by traditional service delivery approaches. The services will be offered mainly to adults who suffer from mental illness, with particular focus on addressing co-occurring issues of substance abuse disorders, medical needs and homelessness with an emphasis on overall “wellness”.

Shavone Hamilton, Pederson-Krag’s Executive Director, states, “People with severe mental illness and co-occurring substance use and/or chronic medical diseases often work with several providers. It can be challenging for those providers to establish and maintain effective communication and collaboration about the client’s care. Through working closely with OptumHealth, we hope these services can help bridge that gap, ultimately promoting better care for those who need it most.”

The goal of this pilot program is to reduce the rate of hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations as well as cycling through emergency departments and inpatient settings by creating a delivery system that allows members to access treatment staff where and when they need them”. This will be accomplished through comprehensive support and care coordination with an emphasis on illness self-management. Members will receive targeted interventions and linkage to appropriate care providers and 24/7 service and support access, including extended periods of direct supervision during times of crisis to prevent unnecessary hospitalization. Pederson-Krag will assume the responsibility of providing this comprehensive support, with a focus on recovery and resilience, assisting these individuals with meeting their health and wellness goals. Pederson-Krag is pleased to have been selected by Optum to develop such an innovative program responding to the opportunities created by health-care reform.

About OptumHealth
OptumHealth is part of Optum, an information and technology-enabled services company dedicated to making the health system work better for everyone. OptumHealth is a leader in population health management, helping 60 million Americans navigate the health care system, finance their health care needs and achieve their health and well-being goals. OptumHealth supports the physical, mental and financial health of individuals with solutions offered through employers, health plans, public sector programs and health care providers. Visit www.optumhealth.com

About Pederson-Krag
Pederson-Krag, sponsored by PSCH, currently has six facilities throughout Suffolk County and provide a full continuum of care to approximately 4,500 individuals currently enrolled in one or more of its twenty-six programs. Pederson-Krag offers outpatient, community and school based mental health and addiction recovery services to children, adults and families in a manner that fosters dignity and respect and empowers individuals to become full participants in their own recovery and independent members of the community.

By Rosemary Sanchez, Division Director of Integrated Care Coordination Services for Pederson Krag