InSHAPE New Hampshire: Promoting Mental Health Wellness, Saving Lives

Last Updated on Monday, 29 August 2011 07:21 Written by Natural Health Team Monday, 29 August 2011 07:21

Health Information about InSHAPE New Hampshire: Promoting Mental Health Wellness, Saving Lives

People with severe and relentless mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder also bear a greater physical burden; they are at increased risk for obesity and chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and nicotine dependence. Serious mental illness is an important risk factor for morbidity and mortality; these patients die an average of 25 years earlier than the average individual due to higher rates of medical illness than can lead to premature mortality.

These gloomy statistics inspired Ken Jue, MSW, CEO of Monadnock Family Services in Keene, New Hampshire to start the In SHAPE program. “What we’re trying to do is prevent premature death of persons with serious mental illness,” says Jue.

Research shows that people with schizophrenia and other psychotic and mood disorders who exercise three times a week for approximately 4 months lose weight, gain cardiovascular fitness, and experience less depression and fewer psychiatric symptoms. But few programs exist to help people with SMI maintain healthier lifestyles; for example, fewer than 20% of people with schizophrenia engage in regular exercise, and approximately 40% are completely inactive. In SHAPE is one of the few wellness and prevention program for individuals with SMI that seeks to fill this void.

In SHAPE seeks to improve physical health and quality of life, reduce the risk of preventable diseases, and enhance life expectancy of individuals with SMI. Each participant is teamed up with a trained health mentor to create a Self Health Action Plan for Empowerment (SHAPE) that includes physical activity, healthy eating goals, and attention to medical needs. The program enrolls adults in community wellness activities such as exercise, dance classes, weight loss programs, and smoking cessation activities.

Until 2002, Jue continued to attend a number of funerals of his patients that seemed far too young to be dying. He often looked at his patients’ photographs and noticed that they all looked youthful and active at one time in their lives. Jue started researching information about co-morbid medical illnesses among people with SMI and also interviewed Monadnock staff about patients’ medical conditions. Staff members confirmed that many of their patients had died prematurely or had a number of other chronic health conditions exacerbated by their lifestyle choices and their mental illness. Jue knew something had to be done to help this unique population, and so he outlined key program elements that he would want to see in a program that helped people with SMI improve their physical health.

]]>

Instead of relying on formal referrals from mental health providers, Monadnock encouraged voluntary participation and began to form partnerships with hospitals and organizations that would provide exercise, nutrition, and general health services. These partnerships were critical to In SHAPE’s success. The local hospital provided smoking cessation programs, while a large non-profit medical clinic provided primary care services to participants without a medical home at no charge to the patient. The local YMCA and a dance and fitness center also offered up their services to encourage creative forms of physical activity. Graduates from Keene State College Department of Health and Fitness were hired to serve as health mentors. They did not receive formal mental health training so that they would not be influenced to think about and treat the participants as “ill” or “sick” patients.

Participants were not only given the chance to be educated on leading a healthy lifestyle, but they were also given the opportunity to meet other people with similar challenges and to feel included in the community. Fitness assessments were repeated every three months to track progress, and there were regular celebrations during which participants received recognition for their efforts and incentive prizes.

A pilot study was launched with the commencement of the In SHAPE program to gauge participants’ progress in improving their overall health. While Jue only expected 40 people to enroll in the program, he was surprised to see that 65 people had signed up, and more wanted to join but couldn’t due to limited funding. Three months after beginning the program, participants exhibited increased exercise capacity and flexibility, enhanced readiness to change, and improved mental well-being; weight loss was variable across participants. Anecdotal evidence suggests that participants seemed to have greater confidence in social situations, reduction in their waist circumference and blood pressure, and an overall reduction in their depressive symptoms. While
In SHAPE does not promote exercise as a replacement for pharmacotherapy, preliminary results suggest that the exercise and increased health awareness help patients better cope with their mental illness.

Currently, the In SHAPE program is active in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine. Jue and his team at Monadnock have strengthened In SHAPE by developing new programs that help address challenges that come with varying populations with SMI. For example, Parents as Teachers is a new initiative developed for mothers with mental illness on Medicaid. Through home visits, mothers are taught on how to grow and develop relationships with their children with greater continuity and less disruption as a result of their mental illness. While the program presents its own challenges for the mothers involved, most participants are deeply committed to the one-year program and strive to make significant changes for themselves and their families.

Jue encourages other associations to support wellness and build partnerships with their local healthcare clinics and organizations with a few caveats:

>> Do not underestimate the insight of people with mental illness: Patients with SMI are likely to readily acknowledge the need to make lifestyle changes to improve their health.
>> Emphasize local inclusion: Involving people with SMI in community activities and exercise centers will ultimately improve their quality of life and reduce local stigma.
>> Seek community partnerships: Programs don’t need to have their own exercise centers or nutrition staff; they should leverage use of community resources by creating mutually beneficial partnerships.
>> Employ a patient centered approach: Encouraging participants to set their own goals will increase the likelihood that goals will be achieved. Participants should understand that they have responsibility for and control of their health.
>> Do not “medicalize” the program: Orient the program as an activity to promote the participant’s health and wellness, not as a response to his or her mental illness or medical comorbidities.

Funding for the In SHAPE program initially came from the New Hampshire Endowment for Health. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation also provided monies for program expansion and a pilot study to test the effectiveness of the program. Enrolled patients also pay a monthly membership fee to access exercise facilities and classes offered by In SHAPE partners. Recently, the state of New Hampshire agreed to reimburse the In SHAPE program under the state’s Medicaid program.

Singer Adam Ant tells Radio 5 live about his experience of Britain’s mental health system, criticising the way in which people can be sectioned.

Find More Mental Health Articles

Saving Money With Health Insurance

Last Updated on Monday, 11 January 2010 12:57 Written by Natural Health Team Monday, 11 January 2010 12:57

Everyone likes to save money and your health insurance is a place where you can find savings. The easiest way to save money with health insurance is to only insure yourself for large, catastrophic medical problems or to increase your deductible in order to decrease your monthly premium. Both of these choices might not be the best health insurance option for everyone because each will increase your out-of-pocket medical expenses for everyday medical care and preventative examinations.

There are a number of tips to keep in mind beyond increasing your out-of-pocket expenses to minimize your health insurance costs while receiving the health insurance coverage you and your family needs.

Here are six things to consider for saving money through your health insurance:

1) If you are part of a health insurance plan such as a POS (point-of-service) or PPO (preferred provider organization), make sure you only use doctors and medical services that are in-network for your plan.

2) Take every tax deduction offered on health insurance. For the self-employed this means deducting all your health insurance premiums, and for participants in employer-based plans deducting the portion you pay of your health insurance premiums. And medical and dental expenses you incur that your insurance doesn’t cover that exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI) can be deducted as well.

3) When you are comparing health insurance quotes take a look at the long-term implications of your plan. Lower health insurance premiums and up-front costs will mean more out-of-pocket expenses and possibly much higher medical costs over the long run. Consider how you expect to use your health insurance and factor all the costs when comparing health insurance quotes.

4) Don’t make visits to the emergency room unless you are experiencing an actual medical emergency. The co-pay will likely be very much higher than for a regular office visit.

5) If possible participate in employer- or other organization-based group health insurance. The rates and qualification requirements are typically lower. If you are part of a employer-based group health insurance plan have your employer pay the premium on a pre-tax basis to lower your overall taxable gross pay. Another way to reduce your taxable income is to participate in your employer’s flexible spending plan to save money for out-of-pocket health insurance expenses such as co-pays, some medications and certain medical devices.

6) Save money on health insurance prescription medication by using online pharmacies. Traditional pharmacies will typically dispense only a 30-day supply of medicine while online pharmacies will allow for 90-day supplies for the same co-pay.

health insurance

Top Five Tips For Saving Money on Group Health Insurance

Last Updated on Sunday, 10 January 2010 03:31 Written by Natural Health Team Sunday, 10 January 2010 03:31

As health insurance costs continue to rise by double digits, the increase in premiums is the highest for tiny businesses that offer group health insurance plans. According to the Commonwealth Fund, a Unusual York-based health advocacy group, the health insurance costs for petite businesses are roughly 18% higher than those of sizable business. This is leaving more and more businesses with a choice between two evils: pass on the rate hikes to their employees or do away with the serve altogether. These 5 major tips will go along arrangement toward helping you place money on your health insurance costs. Cutback on coverages This is one of the fastest ways to lop down the cost. You can also offer supplemental insurance to screen any gaps in coverage on the main health policy. Accidental and sickness policies for instance, are relatively affordable and can be combined with a higher deductible health opinion. Offer health savings memoir and high deductible plans By combining Health savings accounts (HSAs) and a high-deductible health insurance plans, you will potentially chop your puny business health insurance costs while giving your employees tax breaks. HSAs are tax-sheltered accounts that can be conventional toward paying medical expenses, including the insurance deductible. High-deductible health insurance plans have mauch lower premiums than managed care health plans. By combining these two plans, you will set money while retaining primary coverage for your employees.

Join a group health insurance plan When you retract in bulk, the product’s costs comes down. Shrimp group health insurance view shroud 2-50 employees and the larger the group, the lower the premiums will be. If you are running a petite firm with less than ten employees, you can partner with other businesses to enlarge your group health insurance thought and lower your rates. Create a health-conscious work ethic and environment

*Limit smoking at work and then work to gradually eliminate it through incentives and health programs.

*Offer healthy drinks at the vending machine.

*Offer incentives to employees to enroll in weight-loss programs.

*Provide workshops relating to safety both at work and at home.

*Institute a policy of zero-tolerance for any drug or alcohol abuse.

*Offer low-calorie food and drinks at company events do away with the pizza and beer. Make the most of all the available tax incentives There are a number of tax benefits provided to dinky business owners who offer health insurance to their employees. For example, you may be able to deduct the chubby amount of your group health insurance premiums, which may in turn nick your payroll tax. By implementing these tips, you will go along blueprint toward providing your employees with a quality group health insurance belief at a reasonable, cost effective rate to you and your business.

health insurance

Health Insurance , Health Insurance Quote , Individual Health Insurance

Last Updated on Friday, 9 October 2009 11:32 Written by Natural Health Team Friday, 9 October 2009 11:32

Quoting and Saving on your health insurance has never been easier. You’re a few seconds away from obtaining a detailed health insurance quote for individual health insurance

health+quote
Read The Full Story