theconnectionsnj.com HEALTH & WELLNESS PAGE 22 The shortage of mental health clinicians is a national crisis that the team at Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Solutions (PandBHS) and the SRB Philanthropy Corp (the Corp) have taken on. During the pandemic, the need for mental health services exploded. In response, PandBHS began its expansion. In 2021, Dr. Steven Budoff was joined in practice by his niece, Gabriell Budoff, an advanced practice nurse practitioner, and Angela Shusterman, a therapist. Last year, 2022, saw another expansion with the addition of two certi ed psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners, Mary J. Richardson and Frances Burns. Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Solutions plans to expand again in 2023 in further response to the crisis. Psychiatric hospitalizations are way up and, and in most cases, patients are required to see a practitioner in the community upon release. The problem occurs when the practitioner in the community is not available in a timely manner. At the urging of Frances Burns, PandBHS will be opening a mental health urgent care clinic. The project is based on an immediate mental healthcare center in Louisville, Kentucky owned by psychiatrist, Dr. Ora Frankel who describes her business model this way: “…we see patients by appointment or on a walk-in basis. They can receive a full psychiatric evaluation, as they would in a private practice, with one of our psychiatric nurse practitioners (NPs) If, for example, a patient already has a psychiatrist in the community but can’t get into that practitioner in short order, we would see the individual and perhaps evaluate medications. We would then fax a record of the individual’s visit to the psychiatrist of record and recommend follow up with that provider. The second scenario is the patient who has not yet seen a psychiatrist but is experiencing a delay getting a rst appointment. Patients wanting someone in-network with their insurance will pay out of pocket to see us, just to get started because they have to wait several months to get an appointment with a psychiatrist in the community. At the conclusion of the evaluation, the evaluation and treatment plans are forwarded to the patient’s psychiatrist to ensure continuity of care.” While the clinic is a way of alleviating an immediate stressor for some patients, it is not a long-term solution. The reality is that without more clinicians, the crisis will continue and probably get worse and that is where SRB Philanthropy Corp, a NJ 501(c) (3), comes in. The mission of the Corp is to provide scholarships to individuals who are pursuing education in the mental health eld to assist them in reaching their career goals. The intention is to increase the number of mental health professionals who will serve their communities and offer quality mental health support to those in need. Dr. Budoff partnered with The Chabad of Hunterdon County to create The Steven R. Budoff Mental Health Educational Scholarship Fund (mentalhealthNJ.org) and in 2022, the rst two scholarships were awarded to students who are currently pursuing degrees in the eld. The scholarship fund is an ongoing project of SRB Philanthropy Corp and The Chabad of Hunterdon County. On March 30, 2023, the SRB Philanthropy Corp (NJmentalhealth.org) will be presenting the 1st Annual Psych Symposium, an informative and entertaining evening that will raise funds to expand the scholarship fund as well as support other programs with similar missions. The shortage of mental health clinicians is a national crisis that the team at Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Solutions (PandBHS) and the SRB Philanthropy Corp (the Corp) have taken on. During the pandemic, the need for mental health services exploded. In response, PandBHS began its expansion. Addressing the Shortage of Mental Health Professionals …A Catalyst in the Future of Mental Health MEDICAL MINUTES By Deborah Sacks-Wilner
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