Maricopa Announces INTEGRATED HEALTH HOME (IHH) Project
Magellan Health Services of Arizona and the Maricopa RBHA announce an exciting partnership that has been forged that promises to change the lives of its recipients.
The Maricopa INTEGRATED HEALTH HOME Project (IHH Project) will focus on an integrated, behavioral health-led delivery of care for the more than 14,000 Title XIX-eligible recipients challenged with serious mental illness (SMI) in Maricopa County.
The IHH Project is a new partnership among the Magellan Health Services of Arizona, Maricopa Integrated Health System (MIHS), CHOICES Network, and the other provider network organizations: Southwest Network, Partners in Recovery, and People of Color Network; and with support from Arizona Department of Health Services/Division of Behavioral Health Services (ADHS/DBHS).
Data shows that individuals challenged with serious mental illness die 25 to 30 years younger than their peers in the general population—and Arizona’s disparity is an even greater 32 years. This is largely because behavioral health issues are compounded by chronic physical conditions such as heart disease, chronic respiratory problems, diabetes and hypertension. Fear and stigma keep many of these individuals from seeking care in a typical physical healthcare setting. Most primary care physicians also lack the time or specialized training to fully address the multiple needs of people challenged with SMI.
The development of a person-centered, integrated behavioral health home within our system’s adult clinics will effectively address these issues. A health home is a strategy for helping individuals with chronic conditions manage those conditions better. The health home provides care in a community behavioral health care setting where individuals with mental health needs are most comfortable. A team of health professionals provide comprehensive behavioral health care and primary care along with appropriate family, peer and social supports. This team also manages and coordinates all of the services a person receives from multiple providers, promotes good health, and provides follow up to divert from higher levels of care.
Currently providers are conducting an assessment to determine the needs of the population, the first step in creating the integrated health home. So far, the partners have administered a health risk assessment to more than 2,000 individuals with SMI as part of our existing health and wellness program. Many of these individuals have already begun whole health interventions like exercising, modifying their diet and quitting smoking.
CHOICES CEO, Ron Smith says, "These are exciting times and we’re proud to be on the forefront of this innovation that will have important and positive impact on the individuals we support on their recovery journeys".
For more information please visit the Magellan website here and their page on this new "IHH Project".
