CEO's Awareness Message
July 4th weekend is a time to celebrate United States of America's birthday and reflect on the freedoms we enjoy as citizens. It's also a day to honor the men and women who have fought to protect our country, both in the past and present. For many people, Independence Day is a time to get together with family and friends, enjoy the summer weather, and eat delicious food. But it's important to remember the reason for the holiday and to take a moment to give thanks for the sacrifices made by those who have served our country. Since the declaration of Independence has been signed, our military have been serving and protecting our country to continue to protect our rights and freedom. Whether you're attending a parade or barbecue, or just spending time at home, take a moment on July 4th to remember those who have fought and continue to fight for our independence and freedom.
We're so lucky to live in this great country where culture and diversity are celebrated and freedom is given and protected. We have come a long way to encourage the culture to be as diverse and inclusive for all to share in the freedom that our country takes pride in.
At Opus, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to the men and women who have fought to protect our country's freedom. This Independence Day, we are taking a moment to remember those who have sacrificed so much for us and to appreciate all the freedoms we enjoy as citizens of the United States. This month, we are also bringing awareness to the minority in our country as we celebrate the diversity and culture our country thrives on.
Let us all remember the importance of freedom and continue to cherish the liberties we enjoy as Americans. Keeping in mind the sacrifices made by our forefathers in declaring our independence. As we renew our commitment to working together to make America the best it can be through our interactions, relationships and culture we bring into the Behavioral Health technology space.
Thank you to all who have served, and continue to serve, our great nation. Happy Independence Day! God Bless America!
Trey Wilson, CEO,
Chief Executive Officer
Opus Behavioral Health
OPUS EHR EXPERT FEATURE
Opus EHR contains patient demographic reports with information on each such as age, gender, and ethnicity/race. These data points are needed for clinical operations and are required in behavioral health practices. The quality of data on age and gender is often acceptable because of the various mandates to collect them accurately. Each reporting allows for customization to add or remove criteria needed per practice specialty.
For grant reporting, it allows nonprofit practices that are eligible to create and send reports to apply for government and state-funded grants to help fund their practice. I'm the report, they have the options to demonstrate current efforts, needs, and the impact they make within the organization, allowing them to request the necessary funding needed to excel in operations. With Opus EHR, they can customize the reports based on each required grant program they apply for.
With an intuitive curriculum selection, there is no need to search for different solutions when we've got everything right here waiting for you in one place, through the Opus EHR platform.
- Customizable Reporting Filters
- Helps Practice Obtain Funding through Grants
- Streamline the process with Our Team's Resources for Custom Built Reporting
Make an appointment with our discovery team today to learn how we can boost your operations through ease of use and innovation.
www.opusbehavioral.com
Clinician of The Month
Nancy M. Smith, MSW, LCSW, LAC, MHPP, GAL, CISM, PE-PTSD
Nancy is the definition of a counselor that cares! She has been a member of the "Give an Hour" for 18 years and always goes above and beyond for not only Veterans but all her clients! She is currently helping 2 veterans now. She works with people in all areas including, MH, Drug and alcohol, Anger, Parenting, Couples, Veterans, Children, and much more. She is highly recommended by the courts, judges, family services, and attorneys. Her dedication to her clients is commendable.
Since early in her years, Nancy has been a helper, starting first with her own family as a caregiver to her mother and then by her teachers that she would be a great social worker one day. She was seen as level-headed, responsible, dependable, and accountable. After taking the civil service exam at age 17, Nancy was hired at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory as secretary to 13 physicians. Then due to her prior husband's addiction to alcohol, she dove into learning about addiction, starting 4 of her own AA groups and becoming a foster parent for many children.
Nancy was an active speaker at schools and other organizations speaking about addiction and served on boards for the cause while running several businesses. She had faith throughout the way and things unfolded per her calling as a helper. She went back to school to pursue her career as a drug and alcohol counselor in 1988 and excelled in the social work path. Things started to come together for Nancy when she found her current supportive husband, was selected as the Social Worker of the Year for the Social Work Department and received the President’s award. She was inducted into Mortar Board, which is the National Honor Society graduating, Cum Laud, in 1992 with a Bachelor’s in Social Work and received a Licensed Addiction Counselor licenser as a LAC in 1993.
Industry News
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is observed to bring awareness to the unique struggles that racial and ethnic minority communities face regarding mental illness in the United States. This month, Opus EHR is shining a light on the unique mental health needs of minority populations in the United States. It is important to bring attention to the minority mental health community, as people from all walks of life strive to create environments that are welcoming and inclusive for everyone.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, minorities are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than white Americans.
Some specific statistics include:
- African Americans are 20% more likely to experience serious mental health problems than the general population.
- Native Americans are 2.5 times more likely to experience major depressive episodes than the general population.
- Hispanics are 1.5 times more likely to develop an anxiety disorder than non-Hispanic whites.
- Asian Americans are twice as likely to have panic disorder than the general population.
Even though many organizations acknowledge this, there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of raising awareness about mental health among minority populations and providing culturally competent care.
There is always progress to be made in these areas. Some ways to get involved in supporting minority mental health this month:
- Learn about the unique mental health needs of minority populations. There is a lot of misinformation out there about mental illness, and it’s important to be armed with the facts. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has a great resource page that covers common myths and stereotypes about mental illness, as well as information about specific conditions that are more common among certain minority groups.
Support organizations that serve minority populations. Many organizations are doing great work to support the mental health of minority populations. A few to check out include the National Minority Mental Health Consortium, the Minority Behavioral Health Group, and the Association of Black Psychologists. Some things that can be done to bring more awareness to minority mental health include:
- Advocate for better access to mental health care for all. Everyone deserves access to quality mental health care, regardless of their race or ethnicity. You can help make this a reality by contacting your elected officials and urging them to support policies that improve access to mental health care for all.
- Be an ally to minority communities. If you’re not a member of a minority group yourself, you can still be an ally in the fight for minority mental health awareness and equity. Learn about the issues faced by minority communities and use your privilege to amplify their voices.
- Spread the word about mental health resources. There are many great mental health resources out there, but not everyone knows about them. Help spread the word by sharing information about hotlines, support groups, and therapy resources with your friends and family.
Mental health is an important issue for everyone, but it’s especially crucial for minority populations who often face unique challenges in accessing care and receiving quality treatment. This month let’s all commit to doing our part to support minority mental health.
Opus EHR has the demographic and grant reporting feature, which allows for an organization to view reporting to determine patient progress based on ethnicity, race, and gender. This feature allows analysis to be fair and culturally diverse by an organization tracking how they are helping everyone and to make sure that equality is practiced. For instance, when a certain individual needs more attention, stats can be captured in reporting to address the cause, understand their background and customize an appropriate treatment plan for recovery.
