Skyland Trail Partners with Morehouse’s Satcher Leadership Institute on Primary Care Study
Atlanta (February, 22 2010) - Skyland Trail, an Atlanta-based mental health treatment center for adults, and the Morehouse School of Medicine's Satcher Leadership Institute recently conducted a three-week study on the integration of primary and mental health care.
Skyland Trail opened a full-time primary care clinic in 2009, one of the first mental health treatment centers in the country to do so. Morehouse postdoctoral fellow Brian McGregor, who is studying integration of primary care in mental health settings, presented the results of his study.
"What Skyland Trail is doing with the primary care clinic is great to see," he said. "Typically, when you see integrated primary and mental health care, you see mental health care provided when possible in primary care treatment facilities. As a mental health center that also offers its patients primary health care, Skyland Trail is basically reversing that method. I'm anxious to see how effective this is."
McGregor outlined five basic goals for the study before arriving at Skyland Trail, which included: assessing the level of integration of primary care; determining what factors are driving the need for primary care in mental health settings; assessing Skyland Trail patients' viewpoints on how effective the primary care clinic has been for them; determining the extent to which having access to primary care is positively affecting outcomes for Skyland Trail's clients; and assessing policy implications of replicating Skyland Trail's unique model.
During his presentation at Skyland Trail, McGregor reported positive feedback on primary care experiences. Although Skyland Trail's program is relatively new, McGregor said he was very impressed with the findings, and expects the program to grow quickly as the Skyland Trail clinical staff leads the way in this cutting edge endeavor.
"We're trying to make sure that individuals with mental disabilities do not fall through the cracks in regards to receiving their primary health care. What Skyland Trail is doing is vital to that end," he said. "We wanted to assess the patients' experience versus what Skyland Trail had hoped to provide for them. Overall, the patients were very pleased with the level of treatment, care, and sophistication of this program. This is still a young and evolving concept, so I expect Skyland Trail's primary care program will continue to grow at a very rapid pace."
About Skyland Trail
Skyland Trail is a community-based non-profit organization that offers hope to adults with mental illness by teaching them the practical skills they need to lead productive and independent lives. We provide a unique curriculum of innovative services, tailored to the individual client, to improve mental, physical and social well-being. Programs are offered in Atlanta on three campus-like settings and are led by a team of caring professionals who are specialists in their fields.
Chas Strong
Communications Specialist
678.686.5912
