Behavioral Health Topics: (click title to go to specific topic)
Behavioral Health Advisory Committee (BHAC)
Annually MercyCare Health Plans (MCHP) hosts an advisory committee for network practitioners. This committee is comprised of primary care physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health therapists, addiction counselors, and advanced practice nurse prescribers. The purpose of the BHAC is to collaborate with MCHP practitioners to identify opportunities for improved continuity and coordination of care between behavioral health and medical care. If you are interested in participating in the BHAC, please contact Dr. Tina Kosnar at the following:
Phone: (800) 752-3431 x3002 or (608) 758-7734
Major Depression Treatment Guideline
MercyCare (MHCP) has guidelines in place for the treatment of major depressive disorder in adults. These guidelines have been in place since 1997 and were most recently reviewed and approved at the Quality Utilization Management Committee in May of 2007. MCHP will continue to review the Major Depression Treatment Guideline at least every two years. If new scientific evidence or national standards are published prior to the two-year review date, the information will be reviewed by MCHP's Behavioral Health Medical Director and disseminated to providers.
The guidelines are intended as a resource for MCHP practitioners to assist in evaluation, treatment and follow-up for adults with major depression. MCHP's guidelines include the HEDIS® 2007 Anti-depressant Medication Management Measure. As a summary; this measure identifies the number of adult members who were newly started on an anti-depressant, or had three follow-up visits with a mental health diagnosis [1 must be with a prescriber], or remained on the prescribed medication for 3 months and/or remained on the medication for 6 months.
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Depression Case Management
MercyCare's (MCHP) Depression Case Management program is coordinated by a registered nurse whom is also a certified case manager. The purpose of this program is to improve management of major depression and maintain compliance with HEDIS® measure requirements; to follow-up after hospitalization for mental illness and antidepressant medication management.
Your patients are eligible for this program if they are newly started on an antidepressant or if they have been admitted with a primary or secondary diagnosis of major depression. MCHP's Depression Case Manager will:
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Provide educational tools to your patients
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Reinforces the treatment plan
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Serves as a patient and physician resource
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Gives feedback to physicians regarding the patient's progress
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Promotes self management
If you have a patient you feel would benefit from MCHP's Depression Case Management Program, please call 1-800-752-3431.
Postpartum Depression
MercyCare (MCHP) promotes screening for postpartum depression at the member's postpartum check-up, and encourages the postpartum check up to occur between 21 and 56 days after delivery. Our members are sent educational information on postpartum depression post delivery along with the PHQ-9, and recommend that the member bring the completed form with them to their postpartum visit. In regards to screening for postpartum depression, MCHP has adopted the Wisconsin Association for Perinatal Care's Position Statement listed below:
A CME was given by Dr. Vani Ray, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry UW Madison, on August 7, 2007 at Mercy Hospital's Mercy Center in Janesville, WI.
To see the presentation given by Dr. Vani Ray, please  click here (Power Point).
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Alcohol
MercyCare (MCHP) initially adopted the guidelines; Pharmacological Management of Alcohol Withdrawal, from the American Society of Addiction Medicine at the Quality Utilization Management Committee meeting on February 3, 2004, and was reviewed again at QUM in 2006.
Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder
MercyCare Health Plans (MCHP) has guidelines in place for the treatment of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. These guidelines were recently reviewed and approved by MCHPs Quality Utilization Management Committee on January 8, 2008. MCHP will review the ADHD guideline at least every two years. If new scientific evidence, or national standards are published prior to the two-year review date, the information is reviewed by MCHP's Behavioral Health Medical Director and disseminated to providers.
The ADHD guidelines are intended as a resource for MCHP practitioners to assist in evaluation, treatment, and follow up for children and adolescents with ADHD. MCHPs guidelines include the HEDIS® 2008 Follow-Up Care for Children Prescribed ADHD Medication. In summary, this measure identifies the percentage of children newly prescribed medication for ADHD in the outpatient setting and received a follow up visit within 30 days (initiation phase), and then an additional 2 visits within 9 months after the initiation phase has ended.
Contains additional resources for ADHD including screening tools and information for physicians, teachers, and parents.
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Screening Tools Depression:
 PHQ-9
PHQ-2
Screening Tools Alcohol:
 Screening & Brief Interventions for Alcoholism
CAGE-AID
AUDIT
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