Mental Health Intensive Case Management and Mental Health Clinic
Mental Health Intensive Case Management and Mental Health Clinic
Preceptor: Sarah Bekele, MSN, PMHNP-BC
The Mental Health Intensive Case Management Program seeks to optimize the health status, quality of life, and community functioning of Veterans diagnosed with serious mental illness who frequently utilize VA inpatient and emergency services. The MHICM program provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychiatric care and intensive management and treatment to Veterans with serious mental illness through an interdisciplinary team approach. The hallmarks of the program include very frequent contacts between the staff and Veteran, a flexible approach with the most contacts occurring in the community, a focus on rehabilitation, and a clear pathway to responsibility with a minimum of one year of continuous involvement.
The Outpatient Mental Health Clinic provides ongoing psychiatric medication management and psychotherapy services for Veterans with a diverse range of mental health diagnoses. NP residents will be able to hone their clinical skills with assessment, differential diagnosis, psychiatric medication initiation and maintenance treatment, and case formulation. The Mental Health Clinic has several Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) teams which include a psychiatrist and/or psychiatric nurse practitioner, therapy providers, nurses, peer supports specialists, and interdisciplinary trainees.
Mental Health Intensive Case Management and Mental Health Clinic Learning Objectives:
- Collaborate closely with interdisciplinary team members in providing evidence-based management and treatment approaches for Veterans with serious mental illness.
- Demonstrate a recovery-oriented perspective and an understanding of importance aspects of psychosocial rehabilitation.
- Gain comfort with complex psychopharmacologic regimens, first- and second-generation oral antipsychotics, long acting injectables, and treatment resistant approaches.
- Develop confidence in the assessment and diagnosis of serious mental illness including schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, psychosis, complex PTSD, bipolar disorders
- Effectively manage psychiatric emergencies and crises in a timely and professional manner.