Behavioral Health Management articles from January 1994

Behavioral Health Management archives from January 1994

Entering new territory. (in the addiction care field) (Editorial)
January 1, 1994... There's nothing like the feeling of being the "new kid on the block" -- that unique combination of nervousness, perplexity and excitement over new possibilities that one feels upon entering new territory. Having recently participated in taking...

A view from President Clinton's "Drug Czar": Dr. Lee Brown. (Interview)
January 1, 1994... On December 1, 1993, Dr. Lee Brown, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in the Executive Office of the President, provided an opportunity for a one-on-one interview with Michael J. Stoil, Washington Editor of...

Computer networking of patient information: it's on the way.
January 1, 1994... An integrated managed health care system seems only a matter of time in the United States, and it will affect all health care delivery systems including behavioral health care. Key to successful implementation will be the exchange of data...

The computer as "co-therapist". (interview with Roger L. Gould, MD) (Interview)
January 1, 1994... Brief therapy is one thing, but having it conducted by a computer? To many therapeutic traditionalists, this might seem to be the ultimate managed care nightmare: psychotherapy delivered by machine. But to Dr. Roger L. Gould, a Los...

The megs and I: how a chemical dependency counselor came to love computers. (megabytes)
January 1, 1994... For the first fifteen years of my clinical practice, patient interview and testing records accumulated in overburdened filing cabinets buried in the office storage area. This virtual gold mine of research information just sat there in locked...

Computerized diagnosis of psychological factors in medical illness.
January 1, 1994... Physicians are increasingly recognizing the role of behavioral and psychological factors in health and illness. Instead of treating injuries or sickness, physicians acknowledge that they are treating people -- people who vary in personality,...

Basic considerations in integrating mental health and substance abuse services: there are conflicts to work out in achieving this managed care "ideal".
January 1, 1994... I practice in a staff model HMO where there is a Department of Addiction Medicine and a Department of Psychiatry. One of the main reasons for this distinction was that chemical dependency was considered as part of the basic benefit, while...

Chemical dependency and mental health: avoiding a "shotgun merger": the "mental health" concept of addictions is back - and has pitfalls.
January 1, 1994... The widespread proliferation of managed care providers and the movement toward national health care reform are forcing a powerful merger between the chemical dependency (CD) and mental health fields. To understand what needs to be done to...

Alcoholics Anonymous: an interpretation of its spiritual foundation. (Addiction & Recovery Section: "Spiritual" vs. "Rational" Approaches to Recovery)
January 1, 1994... Despite the longevity of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), now almost 60 years old, there has been little formal study on "how it works." There is some consensus that it does work, in that affiliation with AA helps people stop drinking and stay...

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy: a non-A.A. option. (Alcoholics Anonymous) (Addiction & Recovery Section: "Spiritual" vs. "Rational" Approaches to Recovery)
January 1, 1994... Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) offers a dis tinct treatment option for people who are having difficulty with AA or the 12-step approach. REBT was founded by Albert Ellis, PhD, in 1955, and provides people with a way to work on their...

AVRT: the Rational Recovery technique. (addictive voice recognition technique) (Addiction & Recovery Section: "Spiritual" vs. "Rational" Approaches to Recovery)
January 1, 1994... For several decades, as America's addiction crisis has brought us to the brink of civil chaos, one simple statistic about addiction has been unavoidable: About 70% of people who get better from alcohol and drug addiction do so on their...

The MCO as provider advocate. (managed care organization)
January 1, 1994... With talk of health care reform sweeping the nation, mental health and substance abuse providers face an uncertain future. Referrals are shrinking and network opportunities seem increasingly scarce. Providers are understandably scared, and many...

Serotonin and impulse dyscontrol: brain chemistry involved in impulse and addictive behavior.
January 1, 1994... Research suggests that the loss of control over certain impulse behaviors has a biological influence, and is associated with a depletion of the neurotransmitter serotonin. WHAT IS SEROTONIN? Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers...