Sue Bergeson, VP Consumer Affairs
OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions
United Community and State
Delivering Recovery-Focused
Treatment Services in a
Managed Care Environment
4/29/2011
Consumer-Centered Recovery
OptumHealthSM Public Sector’s approach to Consumer-Centered
Recovery stems from meaningful partnerships with:
Individuals and
Families to
Empower
Recovery
Communities
to Improve
Awareness and
Support
Recovery
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Consumer-Run
Organizations
and Provider
Systems to
Promote
Recovery
Systems of Care
to Foster a
Whole-Health
Approach to
Recovery
1
Individuals and Families to Empower Recovery
 Recovery DVD and over 100
2- to 3-minute consumer/family
videos on liveandworkwell.com
to educate, encourage, and empower
consumers and family members
 Family-based developmental
disability organization in New Jersey:
support, engagement, crisis,
appointments, transportation
 Building Support Groups in New
Mexico: 16 peers hired on staff,
68 new groups developed
 Face-to-face, peer-led community-based training including CPS training, wholehealth training, trauma-informed care, recovery-oriented practice, and many others
 WRAP: In New Mexico, Tennessee, and Pierce County, WRAP and other training
is available through our consumer portal
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2
Communities to Improve Awareness
and Support Recovery
 Mental Health First Aid: Promotoras
training (New Mexico, California, Texas,
Satellite sites [Mississippi]), More remote
locations (San Diego County,
Appalachian area of Ohio)
 Support Group Database: Everyone gets
a support group (includes over 2,000
behavioral health, trauma, grief, cancer,
and faith-based groups of all types
and kinds)
 Warm Lines In San Diego, OptumHealth promotes three consumer- and family-run warm
lines: OptumHealth staff can warm transfer callers to these warm lines for support;
In addition, these warm line staff can transfer calls to OptumHealth’s Access and Crisis Line;
OptumHealth is also supporting the consumer-run warm lines in Hawaii
 NYAPRS and BASIC Needs / Ghana Partnership Through this program, our partner
NYAPRS is working with Basic Needs in Ghana to set up a series of exchanges so that
consumers in Ghana can learn how consumers in US do peer support and consumers in the
US can learn how consumers in Ghana approach peer support. The program also supports
community training and outreach in Ghana
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4
Mental Health First Aid/ Emotional CPR (eCPR)
Emotional CPR (eCPR) is an
educational program designed to
teach people to assist others
through an emotional crisis by three
simple steps:
C = Connecting
P = emPowering, and
R = Revitalizing
http://emotional-cpr.org
Mental Health First Aid
A: Assess for Risk
L: Listen Non Judgmentally
G: Give reassurance and information
E: Encourage Self Help and Support
E: Encourage Appropriate
Professional Help
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5
Consumer-/Family-Run and Provider Organizations
to Support Recovery

Peer Bridger: New York, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Texas, Arizona, Florida in
process; Yale study: 49-77% reduction of rehospitalization (Yale study
Poster/handout at the OptumHealth Booth)

Sustainability Institutes: SAMHSA Public/Private Partnership Training sessions
teaching consumer and family run groups how to become a part of an MCO
network – over 500 groups trained (Workbook available at the booth)

Family Navigator Program with the Federation of Families in Rhode Island

Person-centered planning initiative with providers in Pierce County using
Dr. Neal Adams

Living Room Crisis step-down service using peers reducing traumatizing
hospitalization and saving over 2 million per year in one county alone;
New York Rose House support for development of manualized training program
and consumer brochure to extend program

Peer Run Respite Tool And How To Guide With People Inc In NY
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6
Mr. Bus
After I self-disclosed a history of substance abuse, Mr. Bus said
that he learned a lot and gained a sense that if I could do it,
then he could find purpose. He’s had many deaths in his
family in the last two years. He felt alone and hopeless,
but was relieved to hear of my ongoing goal for sobriety.
As a result of my openness, he disclosed his discomfort with himself and his
sexuality. He responded to encouragement and support. Mr. Bus shared some of
his past accomplishments and how he would like to use them to serve others in
the future. He is an expert in Greek, Latin and the Arts. One of his several hobbies
is to read and listen to Opera. Mr. Bus set goals to begin attending his Synagogue
weekly, visit the neighborhood library where he hopes to offer tutoring. The
Bridger program has assisted Mr. Bus to look beyond loss, to remember his
strengths, and to aid in future planning and hope.
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7
Systems of Care to Provide a Whole-Health
Approach to Recovery
 Whole-Health Peer coaching program
in Texas, Arizona, New York — Texas
showing 96% reduction in hospitalization
 Mobile Medical Van Washington
Primary-Care-on-Wheels
located at behavioral health centers,
using peers as wellness coaches
 NAMI Hearts and Minds initiatives
and spin-offs
 Pillars of Peer Support III Joint initiative with Carter Center, SAMHSA, National
Council, NASMHPD on the role of peers in integrating physical and mental health
 System of Care Pilots. Partnership with Georgetown’s Technical Assistance
Center for Children’s Mental Health: targeted system of care pilots in support of a
community public health model addressing children with anxiety and ADHD
disorders
 Coping with Trauma Skills Training in Prisons. We are offering Seeking Safety
classes run by peers to teach inmates living with mental illnesses who have
experienced trauma how to cope with the effects of the trauma.
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8
Mrs. Dawn
“When alone with Mrs. Dawn, she talked of her Diabetes and
the complications she has at times – fatigue, light-headedness
and foot numbness and dull pain. Her physical therapist
had recommended a home program for exercise to relieve
circulation problems in her feet. Together, we established
a calendar for daily activities that included her doctor’s
appointments, exercise and relaxation. I also taught her relaxation
response techniques which she continues to do daily.
Mrs. Dawn experiences what she calls “panic attacks.” When they are particularly
difficult, she will call me or ask that I schedule to come over. I come visit her and,
with supportive listening or just sitting quietly with her, I become a part of her
stability solution and have helped limit her hospital stays.”
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9
Examples of Work We Are Doing in ASO-Only Markets
 Prison Outreach Program: daily wellness
peer-led recovery sessions
 Warm lines: Promotion of existing peer
family-led warm lines, coordination with
our crisis line
 Hearts and Minds Wellness Event:
support groups and peers lead 10K walk
training groups
 MHFA English and Spanish language
Mental Health First Aid in the Community
and doing nursing home/hospital staff training
 TA: Currently making a case for peer bridger and
offering technical assistance to implement
 Restoring Dignity: Support for local cemetery
restoration and National Consumer
Memorial
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Susan.Bergeson@optumhealth.com
630-232-2088
“Our job is to inspire and create irresistible services: Interesting, inspired, irresistible services.
Instead, we do three things to consumers that no longer fit: control, manage, and take care of.
Current services are boring: bingo, day treatment, watching TV. Who ever reached recovery
through bingo? We need interventions that empower, skills that instill resiliency, and
connections that are human.”
—OptumHealth Consumer Advisory Board
Thank you!
4/29/2011