Research shows that individuals with mental and substance abuse disorders may die decades earlier than the average person. These deaths are mostly from preventable chronic illnesses like obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease that have often been undiagnosed, or left untreated. For these individuals, there can be many obstacles to care, including barriers to primary care, and challenges in dealing with a complex healthcare system.
With this in mind, and the desire to create better health and wellness outcomes for everyone, the County of San Luis Obispo's Behavioral Health Department, Community Health Centers of the Central Coast (CHC) and Transitions- Mental Health Association (TMHA), have joined forces to improve integration of physical and behavioral health care for individuals with mental illness with a new program called San Luis Obispo Health Integration Project (SLO-HIP). A main goal of this program is to reduce chronic disease for individuals with mental illness through early detection, intervention and prevention education, and ease the barriers and obstacles to receiving care.
Join Kris Kington Barker as she speaks with Anne Robin, County of San Luis Obispo Health Agency, Behavioral Health Administrator, Donna Hayes, Project Director, San Luis Obispo Health Integration Project (SLO-HIP), and Jennifer Robinson the Community Health Care Service Coordinator for Homeless, Medicare and Substance Abuse with Community Health Centers of the Central Coast (CHC) as they discuss this collaboration to integrate physical and mental healthcare in San Luis Obispo County.
Broadcast date: 3/7/19
Central Coast Voices is sponsored by ACTION for Healthy Communities in collaboration with KCBX and made possible through underwriting by Joan Gellert-Sargen.
