Mental Health Services
Mental Health Case Management
The goal of the Mental Health Case Management program is to assist individuals in accessing and utilizing resources and supports essential to meeting basic needs of daily living in order to maintain community functioning. Services may include but are not limited to the following:
- Medical
- Psychiatric
- Social
- Educational
- Vocational
- Residential
- Any other identified need for supports essential for living in the community
The activities of Mental Health Case Management include assessment to consider the holistic needs of the individual, including medical, psychiatric, social, educational, vocational, and residential as well as identifying immediate needs that must be met prior to completion of the Individualized Service Plan (ISP); linking the individual to services and supports, developing supports/resources, coordinating services with other providers, enhancing community integration and participation, monitoring services/support delivery, providing instruction and supportive counseling to promote community adjustment and to enhance individual’s level of functioning in the community, and advocating for individuals in response to their changing needs. With the individual’s direct involvement, future plans that include the individual’s preferences are developed for transitions in the individual’s life.
Mental Health Case Management Services are available to any adult, age 18 or older who is identified as seriously mentally ill (SMI). These individuals have typically been treated in inpatient psychiatric facilities or are at risk of needing inpatient psychiatric treatment without an array of community based mental health services coordinated by the assigned case manager. Individuals are eligible for admission to Mental Health Case Management Services after an assessment for service needs is completed. Any Medicaid recipient who is eligible for case management services under the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services MH Rehabilitative Services regulations will be accepted for case management.
Mental Health Emergency
and Crisis Services
The goal of the Mental Health Emergency and Crisis Services program is to provide immediate effective person-centered and recovery focused intervention in psychiatric, emotional or behavioral crises in order to prevent or reduce the risk of institutionalization or re-institutionalization. Individuals presenting with needs for emergency or crisis services will be admitted immediately for emergency and crisis services. There are no restrictions on the length of service as long as the individual continues to experience related distress to an identified episode of psychiatric, emotional or behavioral distress. Individuals whose crisis situation is related to a primary medical condition or conditions that require stabilization or active treatment will be excluded from this service until medical treatment resolves this situation.
Emergency and crisis services are supervised by the Coordinator of Crisis Services and the Manager of Crisis Services, both of whom are LMHPs. Emergency and crisis services are provided by Qualified Mental Health Professionals (QMHP), Licensed Mental Health Professionals (LMHP), and/or Licensed Mental Health Professional-Eligible (LMHP-E) and are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Services include the following:
- Crisis Intervention
- Crisis Resolution
- Pre-admission Screening
- Consultation
- Referral
- Residential
- Any other identified need for supports essential for living in the community
Services may be provided by telephone with capability of face-to-face intervention and consultation, walk-in appointment at the four service offices during regular office hours (8:30 to 4:30) or by face-to-face contact by staff after work hours at local hospitals, jails and sheriff’s departments.
Mental Health Support Services
The goal of the Mental Health Support Services Program is to focus resources on maintaining individuals with long term and severe mental illnesses within their natural home community. Individuals are able to achieve and maintain community stability and independence in the most appropriate and least restrictive environment.
Individuals served by Mental Health Support Services include adults, age 18 or older who have life-long persistent and severe mental illnesses that place them at risk of homelessness, psychiatric crisis and psychiatric hospitalization.
The activities of Mental Health Support Services include the following: a holistic assessment of the individuals’ basic residential needs which serves as the initial step in service planning; training, support and supervision is provided to individuals who have deficits in skills for activities of daily living; the development and enhancement of functional skills and behaviors related to individual’s health and safety; use of community resources and medication compliance; direct contacts with individuals to monitor health, nutrition, physical and social conditions and implement staff supports as necessary in these areas.
Mental Health Psychiatric and Medication Management Services
The goal of the Mental Health Psychiatric and Medication Management Services is to diminish the effects and symptoms that individuals are experiencing as a result of mental illness, substance use disorder, and developmental disabilities disorder or combinations thereof. The objective is to improve the functional ability of these individuals by the provision of medically oriented psychiatric treatment.
Activities of Mental Health Psychiatric and Medication Management Services include the following:
- Psychiatric Assessment
- Evaluation
- Treatment and monitoring that may include medication management of psychoactive medications, ordering, distributing and delivering prescribed medications, informing individuals of the risks, benefits and possible side effects of prescribed medications
- Monitoring and managing side effects and reactions to prescribed medications
- Assisting individuals who do not have Medicaid or insurance in obtaining medications
- Consultation to staff and community providers on individual’s psychiatric care plans
Mental Health Psychiatric and Medication Management Services are provided to all individuals diagnosed with a mental health, substance use, or developmental disability disorder who are being discharged to CMCSB from state facilities on psychoactive medications. These individuals are immediately accepted for psychiatric evaluation and medication management within the four psychiatric clinics. Individuals who are being discharged from private programs will be reviewed by CMCSB psychiatric services staff for acceptance into these services. Program directors, program coordinators or supervisors, and the psychiatric staff will review all other referrals to the psychiatric clinics for approval. Eligibility for acceptance into the psychiatric clinics will consider the limited resources that are available.
Mental Health Outpatient Services
Evening Counseling Services
The goal of Mental Health Outpatient Services (Evening Counseling Services) is to provide services to adults presenting a need for short-term therapy and who do not, upon completion of the screening process, meet the criteria for long-term mental health or substance use disorder services. Additionally, the goal of the program is to provide educational/licensing opportunities for graduates from accredited human service graduate programs (MSW, MS, M.Ed., et cetera) via practice as residents under the supervision of other CMCSB licensed professionals.
The activities of the Mental Health Outpatient Services (Evening Counseling Services) program include screening, assessment for brief therapy needs, solution focused, person centered, cognitive and behavioral therapies; individual, group and/or family therapy; development of the ISP. Individuals served by this program include adults, age 18 or older who present with short-term therapy needs. Services are provided by residents in counseling or social work and services are provided free of charge. Supervision of the residents is carried out according to the Department of Health Professions guidelines for the Boards of Counseling and Social Work.
Mental Health Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services
The goal of Mental Health Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services (PSR) is to provide a safe and structured environment for individuals with a severe and persistent mental illness to come together to engage in socialization activities and participate in meaningful work opportunities in order to enhance quality of life, as well as promote recovery and wellness. Individuals are encouraged by their peers and a supportive staff to develop their functional abilities and skills to become as independent as possible.
The activities of mental health PSR programs include the following: a holistic assessment of the individual’s basic needs and functional abilities which serves as the initial steps in service planning; provision of training, support, and supervision to individuals who have deficits in skills for activities of daily living; the development and enhancement of functional skills and behaviors; education; utilization of community resources; basic living skills and functional abilities; monitoring of health, nutrition, physical conditions; increased socialization; the development of basic vocational skills leading to functional employment; and staff support for the overall wellness of the individual receiving services.
Individuals served by Mental Health PSR services have life-long persistent and severe mental illnesses that place them at risk of homelessness, psychiatric crisis and psychiatric hospitalization. These individuals often have co-occurring substance use and developmental disability disorders. Physical illness and chronic medical conditions further complicate maintaining basic health and psychiatric stability. The vast majority of individuals who participate in these services have had at least one psychiatric hospitalization.