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Bridges to Mental Health
Mental illness directly affects 1 in 5 Nebraskans and Iowans. Against this backdrop, there is a substantial shortage of mental health providers in our region, particularly within our rural communities. As such, primary care and non-psychiatric specialists provide the majority of medical therapy for psychiatric issues.
However, providers oftentimes don’t have the training, confidence, and/or resources to adequately identify, diagnose, and/or treat these issues. Add to that—little time: Patients in Omaha alone have seen wait times extend to 8–12 weeks to be seen by a psychiatrist or psychologist.
Dr. John Mitchell and Dr. Bill Lydiatt, with generous ongoing support from the Hawks Foundation and others, began a project to expand the mental health workforce in Nebraska through a program called Bridges to Mental Health. Clarkson Regional Health Services has formalized and amplified this pioneering initiative.
The Bridges to Mental Health Workforce Expansion Project trains primary care, specialty physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, and mental health workers to:
Improve diagnostic and therapeutic skills
Strengthen confidence to expand care
Heighten awareness of common psychiatric disorders
Believed to be the first of its kind nationally, this workforce training helps mitigate the access crisis by initiating early mental health treatment in areas where patients and the public already come for care.
There have been 14 sessions so far, reaching more than 700 healthcare practitioners from across Nebraska and Western Iowa. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, underscoring the demand for expanded training.
We are very excited to announce the next two-day session to increase the skills of both primary care and specialists in diagnosing and treating patients with common mental illnesses. The sessions will be held Monday, September 14th and Tuesday, September 15th from 8 am to 4:50 pm at the Gering Civic Center located at 1050 M Street in Gering, NE.
Dr. David Rubin from Massachusetts General Hospital will lead the course along with two colleagues, Dr. Robert Althoff, and Dr. Mona Potter.
13.0 hours of CME through the MGH Institute of Health Professions will be available.
Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change.
