Expanding Access to Outpatient Mental Health Services.

Pictured above: A connected approach to support mental health needs.

Lois Jacobs, a 67-year-old former bus and tractor-trailer driver, completed her treatment for substance abuse on June 2, 2002. She credits the mental and behavioral health services she received as one of the major contributors to her 21 years of living drugfree.

In her role as peer recovery specialist at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Jacobs advocates for making outpatient mental health services accessible to more community members for as long as they need.

“When I talk to patients and ask them what caused them to start using drugs, more often than not it’s due to trauma that they haven’t yet addressed,” Jacobs says. “And to cope, they’ve been self-medicating with drugs and alcohol instead of getting help from trained mental health professionals. This is why our services are necessary.”

MedStar Union Memorial recently expanded its Mental and Behavioral Health offerings through a partnership with Sheppard Pratt Solutions, part of Sheppard Pratt, the largest private, nonprofit provider of mental health, substance abuse and other related services in the country. Prioritizing a holistic care approach—proactively addressing patients’ social needs and more equitable access to services through transportation, food and housing—MedStar Health developed a new 4,890-square-foot specialized facility within the hospital. The programs are staffed by an experienced, dedicated team of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, case managers, peer recovery specialists, and therapists from various disciplines. Our team supports patients through treatment for various disorders, including chemical dependency, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.

“I am thrilled that Mental and Behavioral Health Services were integrated into the core of the hospital to serve our community,” says Elias Shaya, MD, medical director of the Baltimore region and senior associate executive director for Behavioral Health Services at MedStar Health. “It sends a critical message that behavioral health is just as much a part of our wellbeing as physical health.”

In additional to the 18 treatment rooms and various meeting spaces to address the increased demand for Mental and Behavioral Health Services in the surrounding community, the facility also helps coordinate care with specialists.

“We are all one team taking care of our patients’ needs comprehensively,” Dr. Shaya says.

Sharing stories through recovery support group settings is another critical aspect of the comprehensive care patients experience through the outpatient Mental and Behavioral Health Services at MedStar Union Memorial.

“The social encouragement and understanding that comes from others who are dealing with similar challenges fosters a sense of community and healing,” says Joseph Levin, LCSW-C, program director of the partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs at MedStar Union Memorial. “When patients are hearing stories from people just like them who have been through what they’re going through, it helps break down the stigma attached to mental and behavioral health,” Levin says. “It validates what they feel, builds camaraderie, normalizes their symptoms, and gives them a voice.”

“We try to expand the patients’ resources and show them we have professionals in every area of health care to help them,” Jacobs says. “We treat each patient as an individual with their own unique needs, and we all work hand-in-hand to make sure those needs are met.”