Whenever a mental health professional starts his or her practice, they usually do mental health billing on their own. This can be a good thing at first because learning more about the business they are in allows them to grow as professionals. However, after they have seen how mental health billing works, they have to take into consideration one important aspect: is it to their advantage to keep doing mental health billing themselves?

The answer is no. By continuing to do their own billing, mental health professionals will only spend more money than using other services, they will waste precious time that can be put to better use and, on the long run, they will also lose patients. So, what are their alternatives?

Well, they could hire people to do mental health billing for them or they could use a mental health billing service.

Hiring staff to do mental health billing is the first option. However, this alternative is only effective on the long run. First of all, the staff must be accommodated and if your practice does not have enough room, this could result in extra expenses for you. Secondly, if you choose to hire inexperienced people, you will pay them less, but you will invest more money in their training. Moreover, you will be also investing time in your new staff and before they have reached a level of experience you are comfortable with, you would have spent a considerable amount of money, not to mention you would have wasted a lot of precious time. On the other hand, you could hire an expert to do mental health billing for you. In this case, the wage you would have to pay him or her is far greater than minimum wage. Furthermore, if you decide to hire your own people to do mental health billing for you, you will also have to comply with employees/ employer laws and again spend money and time on their payrolls.

Using a mental health billing service is the other alternative. This is a far better choice. First of all, by a using health billing service, you can control the amount of money you spend on billing. Payments can be made either per service, as percentage or per claim. Second of all, you receive the insurance money a lot faster. Most of the times, mental health professionals refuse to work with insured patients because of the paperwork involved. By using a mental health billing service, everything is done on the computer, using flexible software. This way, the mental health professional receives his or her money in a timely fashion and, subsequently, increases the number of the patients by receiving more insured clients. Last but not least, if they choose to use a mental health billing service, they will have an experienced person working for them. No training will be required and no time will be wasted on trying to achieve a desired level of expertise.

Mental health professionals must know how to make the bet use of their time and money if they want a successful business. Using their own staff may be more comfortable for them, but business is not about comfort, it is about moving ahead. In this case, a mental health billing service is the best choice for every mental health professional’s practice.

For more resources about mental health billing or even about Mental health billing service please review this website http://www.mymedicalbillingservice.com



By: Groshan Fabiola

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“Much Madness is divinest Sense — to a discerning Eye – much Sense – the Starkest Madness” (Emily Dickinson)

Mental health continues to fascinate people. With every technological and scientific innovation, doctors are finally able to understand the workings of the brain. It is safe to presume that human’s interest with mental health stems from the problems of insanity or madness. Since time immemorial, insanity has afflicted people. Healers tried every possible way to address this neurological problem; some use procedures considered utterly inhuman based on today’s standards.

During the early times, mentally incapacitated individuals were placed in asylums, contained in barricaded rooms, and even abandoned into the wilderness. Madness was perceived to be the workings of demons and form of punishment from god. Maybe out of fear and incomprehension, people separate themselves from those who are mad- the lunatics, hysterics and insane. They are afraid that such mental condition is contagious and possible interaction with the “abnormal” will make them one too. Up until the 19th century, the mentally ill are not treated or cured. They are isolated from society, driven to live in conditions unimaginable. Even the families of these individuals are not able to understand their condition. Wary of how the society will accept the fact that their relative maybe mad, they chose to disregard the problem rather than seek medical solutions to address it.

Even the advent of medication and treatment did not provide consolation to the sufferings of the mentally ill. It seems that the social stigma will forever be attached to their character. There are lots of horror stories surrounding asylums that torture their patients in an attempt to smoothen their twisted minds. Though some are heresy, the probability that such incidences happen is quite high.

It is reassuring to know that new approaches to the treatment of mental have developed through the years. From the less humane procedures of the early years, the medical world is now using psychological therapy alongside small medicine doses to treat mental conditions. The entire vocabulary has also changed. From simply pertaining to them as lunatics, mad, demented and hysterics, we were introduced to terms like bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive behavior, schizophrenia, dementia, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Mental illness is also rarely used; the general term now is mental disorder which means something that is curable (can be ordered, tidied, fixed).

Seeing mental illnesses in the light of superstition have been replaced with a more scientific approach to mental health. More than often, doctors hypothesize that mental illnesses are brought about by the unbalance existence of particular brain receptors, coupled by environmental stressors. The biomedical structure of the brain and the existing social condition is thought to play an important part in the development of mental disorders. Trauma and fear is also seen to cause mental disorder, example of which is traumatic brain injury and post-partum depression.

Medications intended to address mental disorders can be classified as: antidepressants, beta-blockers, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers, antipsychotic and stimulants. Each of these drugs is used specifically to treat or provide relief against a specific mental condition. Antidepressants are used in the treatment of depression, and anxiety disorders. Beta-blockers are a major subcategory of antidepressants. Anxiolytics, on the other hand, are indicated for the treatment of insomnia and other anxiety disorders. The mood stabilizers are given to patients suffering from bipolar condition, particularly mania. The antipsychotic are for those with schizophrenia. Lastly the stimulants are for those with Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Taking any of the following medications require careful supervision and guidance from physicians and specialist. Patients are not allowed to take any drugs that affect the brain without first consulting medical experts.

For more information about various medications, check http://www.getcheapdrugs.com/.



By: rae phillips

About the Author:

Most people always neglect their mental healths; we are always in line and are concerned with the wounds, diseases, or the physical pain that we encounter. We neglect that aside from our physical health there is also an existing mental health that we have to watch out for.

 

Mental health diseases of its form are generally curable, but it will take a lot of patience and courage to continue and to ritually take the medications prescribed by the doctor though there are some health supplements that may also help. Aside from the medication that will help us cure the disease, of course factors affecting the mind and the emotions are always there lingering with us, memories that can affect and change the mental status of the person. Rehabilitation therapy is also helpful to resolve this problem and working together with the medication can be a great success.

 

There are basic symptoms of mental health disorders that can be seen in a person, which if neglected will just result in a serious mental health illness. One of this and the most common form is depression. All of us have experienced depression from different views in life, at the job, family, friends, things, achievements, studies, love life etc. It can be seen at every person to be depressed once at their lives, but depression longer than the usual may be a great sign for a clinical mental disorder. Depression taking minimum of 6 months and taking up to years can be a mental disorder we have to pay attention or else various factors can lead this to irreversible brain malfunction.

 

Taking a deep and very informative patient and mental health education is a must and is very important to all of us. Not only to know the diseases around it but also for us to know the identifiable factors that we can observe in one person. Let us always remember that whatever your creed, race, sex and nationality you are not immunized and protected against mental health illnesses. So you should be better be aware than sorry. The early the diagnosis of such diseases the good the prognosis is to be able to return to its previous mental health status.

 

These are such important aspects that we have to take care as with our physical health and should never be out focused and just be ignored.



By: Daniel

About the Author:

I recently attended a traumatology conference in Florida. One of the interesting classes that I was able to attend was Trauma Symptoms vs. Mental Health Diagnosis.The young lady that taught this class was exveptional, for that I owe this paper to her. She is an advocate for both children and adults.

When we work with people that have gone through or suffered some sort of trauma, we are quick to give them a diagnosis of depression, acute stress disorder, anxiety, etc and want to medicate them ASAP. She gave an example of a young that found wondering the streets, age 6. Her agency took this young boy, he was checked out, they found a home for him, and became his advocate. The doctor prescribed 6 different medications. Her question to us; was the symptoms he was displaying truly mental illness or symptoms of trauma?

This young woman handed us scenarios and requested that we discuss how would feel as that victim, the feelings the emotions, both short and long term. To my surprise, one of the ladies seated at the table with me had experienced the same traumatic event as the scenario. We would find out later that this same person would be a presenter our conference later on that day.

As I read the scenario to our group, this precious woman began to shake and displayed extreme anxiety. She stated that only a few minor details were different. I want to share some of the details of this event.

She worked in a hospital. She had just finished her shift and was on her way out of the building. She was walking down the steps to the parking garage, young man pulled a knife on her, threatened to kill her if she made a sound. He robbed her and cut her face almost beyond recognition. She shared with us that it took several surgeries to reconstruct her face. She felt as though she had made progress with the emotions and feelings of this event, but we could see it was still affecting her. She kept apologizing to us for her display of emotions. She looked to us at that table for validation that it was okay and she was not “crazy”. She told us that she still has someone to walk her to her car. It was as emotional for us listen, to watch this person relive this traumatic event. Her trauma took place almost 25 years ago.

She shared with us that the counselor she seen saved her life. He stuck with her for the first few months and made himself available to her if needed. How do you think she would have felt if that counselor had said, you will get over this. All you need is medication and everything will be fine. She told us of her well-meainig co-workers kept asking her if she was okay. They kept wanting to hug her everytime they saw her. She said she wasn’t okay and wanted people to leave her alone.

Are we a country that needs to medicate people who have issues that we do not understand? Trauma has been looked at for years, but no one took the time to understand it until recent years. We treat trauma as a mental illness when it is just normal people going through normal feelings and emotions after suffering a trauma. They are never the same, it should only stand to reason there is no way they can. They need to experience those emotions and feelings in order to begin healing.

When someone suffers a trauma or traumatic event, the one thing they need above everything else is to understand why. They may not ever have that question answered, but they need to have someone to listen, to understand, and give them reassurance that life will one day return to some sort of normalcy. Over medicating someone does not assist in this process, neither does being labled. They then suffer two tramatic events, the event itself and being labled as mentally ill.

Little research has been conducted on this subject. IT IS IMPORTANT to know the difference between traumatic symptoms and a mental health diagnosis. We as professionals have the education and/or training. We are the first in line to help someone that is suffering. It is our job to provide the voice for them when they cannot. Lets not be so quick to medicate and hope they will cope. Lets advocate for their mental sanity when they feel they have none.



By: Elaine Dilbeck

About the Author:

Mental health disorders and mental illnesses affect a greater number of children and juveniles than many people are aware of. These emotional and behavioral disorders can have profound negative effects on the growth and development of children, especially when they go unnoticed and untreated. A greater proportion of children and youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems have mental health problems than children and youth in the general population.

-50% of children and youth in the child welfare system have mental health problems.

-67% to 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health disorder.

Prevalence Estimates of Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders In Young People

DISORDER                                            PERCENTAGE OF YOUNG PEOPLE AFFECTED

Learning D/O:                                                                5%

Substance use / addiction disorder:                                  10.3%

CD:                                                                              3.5%

ODD:                                                                            2.8%

ADHD:                                                                           4.5%

Anxiety Disorders (various):                                             8%

Unipolar Disorder:                                                           5.2%

One or more disorders:                                                   17%

(D/O = Disorder; CD = Conduct Disorder; ODD = Oppositional Defiant Disorder; ADHD = Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Source: Preventing Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People, 2009. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, of the National Academies.)

Early Detection and Intervention are Critical

The onset of major mental illness may occur as early as 7 to 11 years old.

-Research supported by the National Institute of Mental Health indicates that half of adults with MEB disorders were first diagnosed by age 14 and three fourths were diagnosed by age 24.  

-Factors that predict mental health problems can be identified in the early years, with children and youth from low-income  households at increased risk for mental health problems.  

Age at Onset of First Symptom of Full Psychiatric Disorder, by Age 21

DISORDER                        AVG. AGE OF FIRST SYMPTOM            AVG. AGE OF FIRST DIAGNOSIS

ADHD:                                            Age 5                                                 Age 5

ODD:                                              Age 5                                                 Age 10

CD:                                                Age 6                                                 Age 11

Anxiety Disorders (Various):              Age 7                                                 Age 8

Depression:                                     Age 12                                               Age 15

Substance Abuse:                             Age 14                                               Age 15

Substance Dependence:                    Age 16                                               Age 17

Any Psychiatric Diagnosis:                  Age 9                                                 Age 11

(Source: Preventing Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People, 2009. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, of the National Academies)

Obstacles to Access and Quality in Mental Healthcare

Several federal commissions and workgroups federal task forces have documented the need for improved and expanded mental health services for children and youth.

-It is estimated that less than 1 in 5 of these children receive the appropriate needed treatment  

-Only 15% of youths who had difficulties had parents that actively talked to a health care provider or school staff about their child?s emotional or behavioral difficulties.  

There is not adequate financial support for quality services to prevent and treat mental health problems of children and youth. Many child mental health services are not covered by managed care payers. In 2007, 3.1 million youths, (12.5 percent of 12 to 17 year olds) received treatment or counseling for problems with behavior or emotional disturbances in specialty mental health settings (which include inpatient and outpatient care).

Effective Treatment and Prevention Exists

Clear windows of opportunity are available to prevent MEB disorders and related problems before they occur. An intervention before a disorder manifests itself is possible and offers the best opportunity to protect young people. Effective prevention includes strengthening families by targeting problems, strengthening individuals by building resilience and skills, preventing specific disorders by screening individuals at risk, promoting mental health in schools and promoting mental health through health care and community programs. The key to most approaches is to identify risks (biological, psychological and social factors) that may increase a child?s risk of MEB disorders.



By: Linda Rosenberg

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