Mental Health intensive case management program
MHICM is a voluntary program providing intensive case management services for Veterans with serious and persistent mental illnesses to help them live a meaningful life in the community.
About the program
Veterans enrolled in the MHICM program have case managers who work with them to create a recovery plan and assist in reaching recovery goals. MHICM services are mostly provided to the Veteran in the community. Services are based on Recovery Principles and Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR). MHICM services include but are not limited to medication management, budgeting, problem solving, crisis prevention/intervention, peer support, 24-hour staff availability by on-call case manager, occupational therapy and individual/family counseling.
To be considered for admission
Veterans considered for MHICM admission must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for the program:
- Diagnostic Criteria: Primary diagnosis of Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, or Major Affective Disorders with Psychosis. The veteran may have dual diagnoses but substance use or dependence should not be the primary diagnosis.
- Inadequately served: Inadequately served by outpatient treatment. Must have a potential to benefit from the program and agree to MHICM services.
- Severe Functional Impairment: Unable to maintain independent living nor able to participate in necessary treatments without intensive support.
- Clinically appropriate: Clinically appropriate for outpatient setting. Veterans in need of long term hospitalization, domiciliary, or nursing home care will not be eligible for MHICM services. Veterans must be medically and psychiatrically stable.
- High Resource Utilization: 30 or more days or 3 or more episodes of inpatient psychiatric care in the past 12 months or frequent use of other emergency department visits, such as law enforcement, crisis support services, and/or emergency responders which impairs ability to maintain community function.
A Veteran will not be considered if he or she
- Lives in a nursing home, domiciliary or long-term psychiatric hospital.
- Has a pattern of behaviors that would prevent effective outreach efforts.
- Lives more than 60 miles from the CAVHS main campus.
- Mental illness is secondary to a physical health problem or substance use disorder.
- Primary diagnosis is a Cognitive Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Personality Disorder.