Drug use has reached staggering proportions, with almost 32 million US adults having used illegal drugs in the past 30 days, and more than a quarter of these (25.4%) having developed a drug disorder. The need for effective treatment in Behavioral Health is also becoming more pressing, but substance abusers often have other underlying issues that prompt or entrench their habits and make long-term recovery difficult. A new Holistic treatment strategy is gaining ground in Behavioral Health.
A new offering at New York based Recovery Centers of America (RCA) in partnership with Mediaplanet’s college-student focused “College Health and Safety '' Balance program aims to address those co-morbidity issues. Patients with a primary diagnosis of a substance use disorder (SUD) and a secondary diagnosis of mental health will benefit from the treatment program. While a unilateral strategy often results in addiction replacement, or other outcroppings of the secondary issue, the new therapy is focused on effectively dealing with the interplay between comorbid conditions.
The approach involves dialectical behavioral therapy as a key component, where the patient receives coaching on effective strategies to identify and cope with potential triggers or emotional situations as they arise. The learned response to anxiety-inducing circumstances trains the person to address potential stresses as they occur, and allows proper coping mechanisms to foster the formation of healthy habits. This method of “training the brain” gives the patient a degree of empowerment and a positive schema of behavior to rely on in stressful situations.
Rounding out the program are offerings such as meditative classes and nutritional coaching that target overall body well-being. The result is a holistic approach in Behavioral Health that addresses the complete person rather than treating multiple issues independently. When used in conjunction with traditional mental health counseling and therapeutics, the results are very effective at not only overcoming addictions, but improving a patient’s overall quality of life.
With all of the moving pieces to such an overarching program, the need for accurate and easily-accessible patient data is paramount. The OPUS EHR suite of products can provide seamless access to patient records and allow a provider to track the types of therapies a patient has received, the timing, and help determine next steps in the recovery process. As patient needs evolve to a more whole-body standard, healthcare providers need their EHR systems to evolve as well. The superior tracking and organizational capabilities of the OPUS suite makes it the emerging standard for EHR technology, and the scalability of the OPUS solutions makes it a perfect match for every Behavioral Health Organization.