A new mental health clinic opening this week, jointly operated by Integral Care and the Dell Medical School, will serve people with low incomes who are experiencing bipolar disorder.

 

The collaboration is part of the Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences, launched last year through a $50 million gift from James and Miriam Mulva and the Mulva Family Foundation. The new clinic is in the Health Transformation Building of the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin.

 

The clinic serves people living with the most complex mental health conditions — the population served by Integral Care, the local mental health authority serving the Travis County community since 1967. Integral Care will provide expert therapists and other mental health professionals to work in the clinic, as well as ongoing treatment and care to patients through other Integral Care services and programs.

 

“This is a unique partnership between academia and community-based mental health care,” said David Evans, Integral Care’s CEO. “Integral Care and Dell Medical School are leveraging their combined skill sets, expertise and knowledge to help individuals experiencing complex mental health issues to improve their health.”

 

The collaboration is unique among the clinics that have been established so far under UT Health Austin, the school’s clinical practice: in the new clinic, the practice team is led by Dell Med faculty physicians and Integral Care professionals. Providers will use the team-based, data-driven models and processes employed by UT Health Austin’s existing musculoskeletal, neurological and women’s health clinics. These innovative approaches are designed to increase value to patients by improving health outcomes and reducing costs.

 

UT Health Austin plans to offer similar services for other patients with bipolar disorder, including those with private health insurance and referred by outside providers, starting in the spring.

 

“The goal is to improve patient outcomes, regardless of a person’s ability to pay,” said Dr. Stephen Strakowski, chair of Dell Med’s Department of Psychiatry. “This community has a tremendous need for more mental health care. This collaboration with Integral Care will allow us to start providing that care as quickly as possible, and we’re looking forward to expanding services next year as we grow.”

 

Patients in the clinic will see a team of mental health specialists — a Dell Medical School doctor who is an expert in bipolar disorder, as well as Integral Care licensed therapists and a licensed vocational nurse who provide ongoing mental health support throughout their care. The team works together closely to provide the best possible mental health care in order to support the health and well-being of each patient.

 

“The clinic is primarily focused on helping people who are experiencing acute mental health episodes — we want to stabilize them in the clinic to support their recovery,” said Dr. Jorge Almeida, who directs the clinic. “Providing this specialized service ensures people get the right care at the right time and in the right location, which reduces the strain on emergency rooms and hospitals and improves patient health outcomes. Once patients are stable, they will seamlessly transition into Integral Care’s excellent community-based programs, helping them heal over the long term.”

 

In addition to therapy, case management and nursing, Integral Care provides a full array of services to patients, including crisis intervention and substance use disorder treatment.

 

“This is an opportunity to build our community-based workforce,” said Dr. James Baker, Integral Care’s systems chief medical officer and a member of Dell Med’s psychiatry faculty. “For the first time in Travis County, medical students and residents have the opportunity to experience community-based mental health care. Our hope is that some will be inspired to stay and provide this crucial care in our community.”

 

For more information, contact:
Steve Scheibal, Dell Medical School, 512-495-5062 (w), 512-762-8808 (c)
Anne Nagelkirk, Integral Care, 512-440-4034 (w), 512-468-3803 (c)

Registration is now open for the 18^th Annual Central Texas African American Family Support Conference. It will be held February 27th and 28th at the Palmer Events Center. For the past 17 years, thousands have attended the conference to learn how to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, eliminate health disparities and strengthen awareness of mental and physical healthcare resources.

Our upcoming conference welcomes three stellar mental health advocates as our keynote speakers: Trina “TiTi Ladette” Cleveland, Nicole R. Conway and Dr. Ryan Sutton. Please join us for another amazing year. To register or learn about more ways to be involved, please visit our website. We look forward to seeing you in February!

If you need shelter as a result of Hurricane Harvey, please call 311 or visit redcross.org/shelters. If you need immediate mental health crisis support, please call us 24/7 at 512-472-HELP (4357).

Tickets are still available for New Milestones Foundation’s Bridging the Gap Gala. This year’s gala – A Spotlight on Mental Health – will be held Thursday, November 9^th at the Hyatt Regency Austin. We’re excited to announce that Sheila Hamilton, 5-time Emmy-Award winning journalist, author and mental health advocate, is the keynote speaker. Ms. Hamilton’s book All the Things We Never Knew is about loving and losing someone with mental illness. Over the course of the evening, Ms. Hamilton will share her incredibly personal story and truly put a Spotlight on Mental Health.

 

In its 16^th year, the gala will help raise funds for Integral Care’s 24/7 Helpline. The Helpline provides a direct connection to around-the-clock mental health crisis support as well as Integral Care’s programs and services for adults and children. New Milestones Foundation is the funding arm of Integral Care and helps expand awareness in order to eradicate the stigma associated with mental health disorders. Get your tickets and tables today at newmilestones.org. It’s going to be a great night!

Integral Care, in partnership with the University of Houston, has been awarded a 3-year, $1.3 million grant through the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). As part of the Taking Texas Tobacco Free project, the grant will help at least 18 substance use disorder treatment centers in Texas implement a sustainable, multi-component, tobacco-free workplace program.

The mission of Taking Texas Tobacco Free is to promote wellness by reducing tobacco use and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke among employees, clients and visitors. This grant follows two other successful CPRIT-funded grant projects with Integral Care and the University of Houston. Through those projects, we helped 22 local mental health authorities in Texas implement sustainable, multi-component tobacco-free workplace programs.

Integral Care was awarded a grant by St. David’s Foundation to expand our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training program. We are now offering weekly classes to the community. MHFA is a one-day training that teaches people how to help someone who may be experiencing a mental health crisis or showing signs of mental illness or substance use disorder. Just like CPR can save someone who can’t breathe or is having a heart attack, MHFA can save a life. Register for MHFA today.

During a traumatic event, mental health support is more important than ever. KVUE covered the developing story of Hurricane Harvey and its emotional effect on evacuees and first responders. “It’s critically important for mental health professionals to be available to those in need, to give guidance and offer a sense of safety and security,” said Dr. Kathleen Casey, Integral Care’s Director of Clinical Innovation and Development.

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