Integrated Care DC November 2022 Newsletter

In this edition…

  • This November: National Stress Awareness and International Survivors of Suicide Loss
  • Upcoming November Lunch and Learn Web Sessions
  • Provider Spotlights: Hope4You & Gerald Project
  • ON-DEMAND: Primary Care Behavioral Health Webinars
  • ON-DEMAND: Advance Directive Learning Series
  • Report: Children and Adolescents Should be Screened for Anxiety
  • Featured Resource: DC Department of Behavioral Health Access HelpLine
  • Dive into a Topic

This November: National Stress Awareness and International Survivors of Suicide Loss

Chronic stress can lead to life-threatening problems. From hypertension, heart diseases, decreased immunity, loss of sociability, and decreased mental vitality. Stress is not to be taken lightly. The first Wednesday in November is National Stress Awareness Day—November 2—with a weeklong observance lasting November 7-11. The remembrance aims to increase public awareness and help people recognize, manage, and reduce stress in their personal and professional lives. Led by the International Stress Management Association (ISMA), this website provides information for people to monitor stress management, look after their health and well-being, and improve their workplace performance on a day-to-day basis.

Saturday, November 19, is International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, a time for survivors of suicide loss to come together to find connection, understanding, and hope through their shared experience. Organizations like American Federation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and others are working to build a smart culture about mental health through education and community programs, research and advocacy, and support for those affected by suicide. For more information, the District’s local chapter of AFSP has resources to help.

More information for anyone feeling anxious, depressed, or wanting to talk about their mental health before it becomes a crisis:

Upcoming Lunch & Learn Sessions


SOON: Thursday, November 3 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Understanding Value-Based Care & Value-Based Purchasing
Speakers: Caitlin Thomas-Henkel, MSW (HMA) & DaShawn Groves, DrPH, MPH (DHCF)

Register Now: Tuesday, November 15 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Behavioral Health Consultation: Handling Behavioral Health Emergencies in Primary Care
Speakers: Suzanne Daub, LCSW & Marsha Johnson, LCSW

More Events


We are featuring one or more participating practices in the Integrated Care DC program that are making exceptional progress delivering whole-person care for DC residents. If you know a practice or someone deserving of this feature or want to feature yourself, use this link to tell us more.

Hope 4 You’s Self Assessment Led to Better Services for Patients


In collaboration with their Integrated Care DC coach, Hope 4 You created a new onboarding process for staff and volunteers to foster professional cultural standards of human decency, competency, trauma-informed care, and person-centered care.

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Gerald Family Care and MindFlower Form Partnership to integrate behavioral health services into primary care


Working with Integrated Care DC, Gerald Family Care established a partnership with MindFlower Group to develop a workflow for warm handoffs and ongoing reciprocal communication resulting in over 75 closed-loop referrals this year.

Read More

Available On-Demand


Primary Care Behavioral Health Webinars

Have you attended the Primary Care Behavioral Health webinars yet? These popular group sessions provide practical and concrete skills for delivering behavioral health care that is simultaneously co-located, collaborative, and integrated within the primary care clinic. Topics included structuring the behavioral health consultation visit, planning with the patient, adapting evidence-based behavioral health interventions for primary care, and addressing chronic health conditions.

Each of these highly interactive sessions includes a case presentation and opportunities for providers to discuss their challenges and successes with Integrated Care DC experts. It’s never too late to join in. On November 15, we will discuss handling behavioral health emergencies in primary care, and on December 13, we will consider data collection to demonstrate program success. We hope to see you there!

Feedback from participants:

“I intend to use the knowledge to ensure a better experience in the discharge planning process of my patients.”

“I hope to reflect more on how I want to show up with clients. I intend to think more about my approach, guidance, and strategies, and how I can leave the client feeling empowered and safe.”

In case you missed them, you can access past PCBH series recordings on demand:

Advance Directive Learning Series

Did you miss our Advance Directive webinar series? You can now access these sessions on-demand on the Integrated Care DC learning resource page. During the three sessions, HMA’s Dr. Barry Jacobs led a panel that included Corey Main from DC CRISP and Nathanial Curry from DHCF through case discussions focusing on why and how the care team can talk to their patients about this sensitive topic. The panel also discussed ways providers could use the new CRISP Advance Directive tool. The Integrated Care DC team offers practice-level support on this critical topic. You can sign up for coaching here.

Children and Adolescents Should be Screened for Anxiety, Says Report

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a final recommendation on screening for anxiety and depression in children and adolescents.

The recommendation advises that providers:

  • Start screening for anxiety in children and adolescents at age eight and regular screen children who are not showing symptoms of anxiety, citing the benefits of early detection and treatment;
  • Screen adolescents aged 12 to 18 for major depressive disorder (MDD);
  • Both are graded B- recommended services.

Why It Matters

The screening recommendation will support shared goals around early identification and detection to provide treatments earlier. Providers serving children and young adults may consider incorporating these screenings into clinical workflows and practices.

Featured Learning Resource:

DC Department of Behavioral Health’s Access HelpLine


Latest from the Learning Library

More Resources

Dive into a Topic

Behavioral Health | Econsult/Telehealth | Screening and/or Assessment | HIE | Care Team Optimization | MAT | COVID-19 | Patient Engagement | Stigma Abatement | Substance/OUD

We publish on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month. If you have content for our monthly newsletter, or mid-month update, or have feedback or comments, we want to hear from you. Please send us an email at: [email protected].