Promoting Integrated Care and Mental Health!
Dr.JenniferLanghinrichsen‐Rohlingisatthepeakofherextensive,far‐reachingDeepwaterHorizon
grantwhichsheobtainedfouryearsagoasaresultoftheBPOilSpillMedicalsettlement.Itfocuseson
treatingresidentsofthetwoLowerAlabamacountieswhomayhaveexperiencedstressresultingfrom
thespillitselfaswellasotherformsofstress(e.g.family,financial)resultingindirectlyfromthismajor
disasterorfromlivingconditionsalongtheGulfCoast.Jennyemphasizesthatwhendisastersoccur
withinthecommunity,itisnecessarytohave“acommunityresponsetotrauma”availablewithinthe
healthcaresystemsofolkscanreceivetreatmentquicklyandefficiently.Thebestwaytoaccomplishthis
istoENGAGE/ESTABLISH/EMBEDinanENDURINGmannerspecificBehavioralHealthProgramswithin
existingmedicalandeducationalsystems.ShestressesthatBEHAVIORALandPHYSICALhealthare
interactiveinnatureandimprovingbothsimultaneouslyleadstothegreatestpossiblewellnessand
fostersresiliencyforthecommunityatlarge.
InadditiontoafullstaffconsistingofaDirectorofClinicalInterventions,aDirectorofTrainingand
Evaluation,aProjectOperationManager,aSecretary,andnumerousBehavioralHealthProviders
providingservicesacrossMobileandBaldwinCounties,THETEAMcurrentlyincludes4Graduate
StudentsinPsychology(SelenaJackson,CaitlinAnderson,ShannonBoone,andMallorySchneider),3
PsychologyUndergrads(EricSmith,MalayaRichard,&KeaganSmith)1Intern(PeytonWilliams),and1
ProfessoronSabbaticalfromSamford(JonathanDavis).Thecenterpromotesnumerousactive
collaborationsincluding:TheUSAEmergingScholarsPrograminpartnershipwithDr.IsharaRamkisson
andUSADepartmentofSpeechPathologyandAudiology,TulaneUniversity,andDauphinIslandSeaLab;
aHighSchoolOccupationalHealth&SafetyTrainingPrograminpartnershipwiththeMobileArea
EducationFoundationandtheMobileCountyPublicSchoolSystem.Thislaterprogramisfundedbythe
NationalAcademiesofScience.
Othernotableaccomplishmentsinclude:
1. Acrossthepastyear,therapeuticserviceswereprovidedtoover2,000patientsreceiving
healthcareatoneoftheareasFederallyQualifiedHealthCareCenters.
2. ThreeChildPsychiatryFellows,financiallysupportedbythecenter,beganprovidingservices
withinhigh‐needschoolswithinMobileCountyaspartofanefforttofacilitatecoordinatedschool
care.
3. Newprimarycaresystemswereadded!AsofJanuary,thecenterissupportingaBehavioralHealth
Provider(MarySmith,LGSW)toworkintheUSAFamilyMedicineClinicaspartoftheirintegrated
healthcareteam.
4. AformerinternfluentinSpanish(StephenSchottgen,LGSW)washiredfull‐timetoprovide
integratedservicesinFoley,ALinordertoworkwiththeirlargeHispanicpopulation.
5. AchapterontheNutsandBoltsofPromotingIntegratedHealthwasco‐authoredbytheCenter
TeamandpublishedinNovemberof2015.
6. LotsofgraduateandundergraduatestudentsassociatedwiththeCenterreceivedrecognition.
CandiceSelwynwashonoredasGraduateStudentoftheYear.SelenaJacksonwasvotedasthe
Runner‐UpintheUniversity‐wide3minutethesiscompetition!KaliThompsonwaschosentogive
anoralpresentationofherhonor’sthesistothegreaterUniversityCommunity.Atthisevent,Kali
wasawardedaPsiChiawardforherscientificandacademicaccomplishments!
7. YouthMentalHealthFirstAidTrainingstookplacetoprovidecertificationtoteachers,
administrators,andstaffforhigh‐needschoolswithinMobileCountyandforallschoolsin
BaldwinCounty.
8. TwoTrain the Trainersevents(each40hourslong)forgeneralMentalHealthFirstAid
(MHFA)andYouthMHFAwereheldforprofessionalsfromthreestates:AL,FL&MS.Eachweek‐
longeventtrained27MHFAinstructors.Theseinstructorsarenowcertifiedtotraincommunity
memberstohandlementalhealthcrisesandpromotethereductionofstigmasurroundingmental
healthneeds.
9. TheCenterbroughtinanationallyrecognizedexperttotrain25locallawenforcementofficersin
theCrisisInterventionTeammodel.Aftercompletingthe40hourtraining,theselawenforcement
officerswillbeuniquelyequippedtorespondtosituationsinwhichmentalhealthconditionsarea
factor;hopefullyreducingsomeofthedangersassociatedwiththesecalls.Continuoustrainingin
CITwillnowbeapartofthelocallawenforcementtraining.
BACK AT THE LABJennyisfocusingondisastersclosertohome,suchasworkingwithfamilies
disruptedbytheChristmas 2012 tornado  thathitMurphyHighSchoolhereinMobile.Luckily,no
onewasinthebuildingatthetime,but–nevertheless‐affectedfamiliesobviouslybecameverystressed
out duetothelossoftheschool.Jenny’sdisaster research protocolincludesbringingafamily“into
thelab”(whichlookssimilartoalivingroom)wherethefamilycompletesthreetaskstogether,oneof
whichisto“planameal”tosimulatehowfamilyconsensusismade.Conversationsarerecordedand,
aftermuchtranscription,dataisanalyzedastowhatkindofissuesdevelopwhenfamilymembersmust
makedecisionstogetherortalkaboutstressfuleventswithoneanother.Interestingly,inthisinitialphase
ofdataanalysis,parentsratedthemselvesasmorenegativelyaffectedbythisdisasterthantheteenagers
themselves.Otheron‐goingstudiesonintimatepartnerviolenceandstalkingareproceedingnicely!
Atleft,EricSmith,USAundergraduate,ispresentingfindingsgeneratedfromhisthematiccodingof
familydiscussionsofhowthe2012Christmastornadoimpactedthem.Atright,KaliThompsonis
presentingfindingsfromherUCURresearchproject.
SelenaJackson,USAgraduatestudentintheClinical‐
CounselingProgram,presentingherfindingsattheInternationalSocietyofTraumaticStressSociety