Evaluation of the PACE/PACENET BHL Clinical Program
University of Pennsylvania
Summary
The SUpporting Seniors Receiving Treatment And INtervention (SUSTAIN) program is a telephone-based clinical service designed to help identify and manage behavioral health issues among PACE/PACENET enrollees. The purpose of the current project is to a) explore moderators of treatment response among beneficiaries in the SUSTAIN Clinical Program and b) to evaluate the sustained clinical effects of the program.
Description
The SUpporting Seniors Receiving Treatment And INtervention (SUSTAIN) program is an evidence-based clinical service administered via telephone and designed to help identify and manage behavioral health issues among enrollees of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Aging's Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly (PACE) and the PACE Needs Enhancement Tier (PACENET) Program who have been newly prescribed psychotropic medications. The SUSTAIN program has adapted the existing software and staffing model from Penn's Behavioral Health Laboratory (BHL), which has been used to inte…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 65+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Aged 65 and older, males and females. 2. Participating in the SUSTAIN Clinical Program 3. For the 6 Month Outcome Research Evaluation, in addition to meeting criteria 1 and 2, willing to provide verbal informed consent to participate in the 6 Month Outcome Research Evaluation at the end of the acute phase of clinical care, usually at three months. Exclusion Criteria: * Not meeting the inclusion criteria listed above.
Interventions
- BehavioralSUSTAIN Monitoring and Care Management
Program participants are offered clinical services based on symptom severity and clinical need. Follow-up Monitoring consists of up to 4 brief, structured assessments following the baseline clinical assessment. These follow-up contacts are conducted over the telephone by the HT/BHP and take place during the initial 12 weeks of pharmaceutical treatment. These brief interviews monitor symptoms, adherence, side effects, and response to treatment. Care Management incorporates the use of a BHP who has expertise in mental health assessment and is well versed in the delivery of algorithm-based management strategies. The BHP monitors and encourages patient acceptance and adherence to treatment recommendations through support, education, and motivational engagement.
Location
- Department of Psychiatry (Center for Psychotherapy Research), University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania