The COVID-19 pandemic considerably impacted the psychological well being and well-being of individuals all over the world, but it surely has additionally empowered folks to prioritize their psychological well being and well-being greater than they could have up to now.
As folks search assist, they want a trusted supply for psychological and behavioral well being providers. With a concentrate on equitable, whole-person well being, Independence Blue Cross (Independence) now has its personal behavioral well being case administration providers obtainable to make it simpler for members to get the assistance they want. This system helps members with psychological well being and substance use issues, life stressors and crises, and stress-related bodily signs. This enables members to interact with our personal clinicians, together with nurses, for behavioral well being assist, in addition to entry enhanced providers and ongoing assist to allow them to keep on observe with their care plan.
As a part of our Rejoice Caring marketing campaign to honor excellent nurses in our area, we’re shining a light-weight on two of Independence’s behavioral well being case managers to find out how they’re utilizing their nursing abilities and backgrounds to assist members handle their well being and well-being.
Meet Our Behavioral Well being Case Managers
Rene Dillon and Barbara Leone joined Independence in 2022 after spending most of their careers in conventional nursing settings. Rene has spent most of her 17-year profession working with inpatient psychiatric hospital sufferers (primarily adolescent women), whereas Barbara has greater than 30 years of expertise as a behavioral well being nurse, most of it in a hospital setting.
Rene was impressed to enter nursing a few years in the past when three shut members of the family went into hospice care in a single yr. She was impressed by the nurses’ care and compassion and realized she needed to supply that very same expertise for different households. Quickly after, she enrolled in nursing faculty. When it got here time to resolve what sort of nurse she needed to be, she knew straight away that she needed to enter behavioral well being. She recalled her aunt’s battle with psychological well being and knew that she may make a distinction serving to others in an analogous scenario.
For Barbara, caring for others was in her genes. She grew up in a medical household (her dad was a physician and her mother was a social employee who later turned a nurse), so she at all times knew she needed to work within the medical subject. Since she cherished speaking to others and knew she didn’t wish to be a physician, she pursued behavioral well being nursing.
Advancing Psychological Well being for Our Members
Whereas their inspiration for going into nursing was completely different, Rene and Barbara do have one factor in widespread: their ardour for serving to folks enhance their psychological well being.
“There are loads of challenges with psychological well being immediately. Sadly, there aren’t sufficient suppliers or beds in therapy amenities. We’re right here as an additional useful resource for members.” stated Rene. “Generally, folks need assist however don’t comply with by means of straight away. We’re right here to encourage them.”
“I really like speaking to members and serving to them determine their strengths to allow them to create a more healthy future,” stated Barbara. “Generally, members are simply caught. I assist them establish obstacles and supply compassion to assist them notice why they want a therapist.”
Day within the Life
Members can name to speak to our behavioral well being case managers at any time. Typically although, the case managers are those making outreach to members who could profit from the behavioral well being case administration program. This consists of members who’ve been admitted to the hospital for a psychiatric situation or have been newly recognized with a psychological sickness.
“After we attain out to a member, we clarify our program and supply them with sources, educate them on their analysis, clarify their medicines, and assist them discover suppliers,” stated Rene. “For instance, one member was lately recognized with bipolar dysfunction and had no concept what that meant. I helped clarify it to her.”
Comply with up can be an essential a part of this system.
“We verify in usually with our members on this system to guarantee that they’re engaging in their objectives (similar to speaking to a therapist), taking their medicines, and creating and using coping abilities,” stated Barbara. “We additionally remind them to maintain themselves and do pleasurable actions, similar to going for a stroll.”
As soon as a member demonstrates that they’re doing properly (going to their therapist, taking their medicines, and having a disaster plan in place), all sources have been supplied, and if the member doesn’t have further wants, they “graduate” from this system.
The Rewards of Nursing
Barbara and Rene have discovered that managing an individual’s behavioral well being care over the cellphone may be difficult since you possibly can’t see facial expressions or mannerisms. As a substitute, they must hearken to the member rigorously to grasp their feelings. Regardless of the challenges, it’s a really rewarding job for each Barbara and Rene.
“I get pleasure from seeing folks pull themselves out of a gap and reach life,” stated Barbara. “I had a member in his 90s that didn’t know take care of the truth that he was in his remaining years. He was not glad about it. We determined a therapist is likely to be useful, however he didn’t have a pc. I made a referral by means of Quartet Well being and was capable of finding somebody who was keen to work with him through the phone.”
“It feels good to know that I’ve been a giant assist to another person,” stated Rene. “I had one member who advised me that she was struggling on the hospital. I helped get her into remedy. She was very appreciative and thanked me for treating her with dignity.”
The IBX Distinction
As psychological well being points proceed to develop as a public well being disaster, Barbara is proud to work for Independence.
“Psychological well being is essential to everybody. So, it’s superior that Independence does extra than simply pay the payments. They’re supporting members in so some ways, together with psychological and behavioral well being,” she stated.
Thanks to Rene and Barbara and all our behavioral well being case managers for every part you do to assist our members’ well being!
Behavioral well being case managers can be found 24/7. To speak to a case supervisor, IBX members ought to name 1-800-ASK-BLUE.
Quartet is a separate and impartial firm that facilitates and coordinates well timed entry to behavioral well being providers for Independence Blue Cross members.