General, Articles
Treating mind and body at the heart of rehabilitation psychology specialty
By Phyllis Hanlon
Individuals across the spectrum require care from a rehabilitation psychologist. Tim Belliveau, Ph.D., ABPP, director of postdoctoral training & research at the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain, Connecticut said pediatric patients with pervasive mental disabilities, individuals who suffered traumatic brain injuries, stroke or spinal cord injuries, and athletes with torn muscles are among those who may seek help. Elderly patients with age-related physical and/or cognitive decline also could require the services of a rehab psychologist “…to help maximize overall health and encourage a sense of personal choice and independence.” Established in 1958, Division 22, Rehabilitation Psychology, was one [More]
Mental health courts offer alternative path to recovery
By Phyllis Hanlon
In 2007, Judge Kathleen Coffey sought a way to help those with mental health disorders who were facing imprisonment. Mental Health Court offers an alternative path to recovery while avoiding incarceration. Joan Taglieri, senior director of clinical operations for the Boston Medical Center Department of Psychiatry, explained that the Mental Health Court is a specialized diversionary court session that facilitates access to intensive social services and mental health treatment to assist participants in maintaining stability, achieving recovery, and avoiding incarceration. This special court session is a collaborative effort within the courts between the probation department, the Suffolk County district attorney’s [More]
Looking both ways
By Alan Bodnar Ph.D.
Looking forward to my 50th college reunion this month and backward to what I learned during those four years, I am surprised by the power of a teacher’s words to strike a responsive chord that has been vibrating in my life through the passing decades. So, come with me to the leafy campus of suburban university in the late 1960s, to classroom in a Gothic style building made of gray Pennsylvania fieldstone. We sit at wooden desks on seats attached to a flat writing surface that spreads out from a single arm of our chairs, a right arm for right-handers, [More]
Assessment teams factoring into Rhode Island, ME health care
By Eileen Weber
Patients with mental health issues too often end up in emergency rooms with nowhere else to go. ERs in Maine reported approximately 16 patients per 1,000 had mental health issues between 2011 and 2014, according to the latest statistics. “We know people are waiting in ERs from seven to 14 days for a bed rather than getting immediate care,” said Jenna Mehnert, MSW, executive director of NAMI Maine. “ERs should be ERs, not mental health institutions.” The state is working on an alternative option to ease the burden. In February, a bill was proposed that would offer four mental health [More]
Weighing the pros and cons of insurance is crucial
By Catherine Robertson Souter
Setting up a new practice, while potentially rewarding in many ways, can also be stressful and overwhelming. There are decisions to be made, from location and staffing to marketing, hours, and when to open your doors. One of the most important decisions to make for anyone starting out, changing locations, or moving into solo or a new group practice will be whether to accept insurance payments. While there are pros and cons to both sides, it’s a personal decision based on several factors including the practice type, location, and professional goals. No one answer can suit every practice and the [More]
Psychology by the numbers
By John Grohol, Psy.D.
Every few years, I like to take a look at the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers for the mental health profession. The numbers discussed below come from the latest reports from the 2016-2017 time period. Since I last looked at these numbers in 2011, the mental health profession workforce as a whole has grown about 4 percent. During the same time period, the United States population also grew about 3.5 percent. Overall, this data suggests professionals are keeping up with the growth. However, demand for mental health services has increased as well, as more and [More]