3. Comprehensive team-based care
- Date: Friday, September 20, 2019
- Concurrent Session C
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Time: 8:45am – 9:30am
- Room: Pier 5
- Style: Presentation (information provided to audience, with opportunity for audience to ask question)
- Focus: Balance between both (e.g. Presentation of a best-practice guideline that combines research evidence, policy issues and practical steps for implementation)
Target Audience: Leadership (ED, clinical lead, board chair, board member, etc.), Clinical providers
Learning Objectives
The Guelph FHT integrated psychiatry into our primary care model in 2011. Since then, we have worked to increase capacity and we have increased psychiatry FTE from 2.5 days a week to having just over the equivalent of three full time Psychiatrists 2019. The change in capacity was drive by ever-increasing wait times for services and other treatment groups in our community, which also led us to develop and test a 10 week therapeutic treatment group focused on Depression or Anxiety centered in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). The therapeutic group is facilitated by either a Psychologist or Guelph FHT mental health counsellor in collaboration with a Psychiatrist as part of a comprehensive and intensive, 10 week CBT approach. The referrals for this group come from Guelph FHT Physicians as well as multi-disciplinary clinicians in our various clinic locations. Incorporated into the anxiety group is an exposure component that has not previously been available through other groups in our region (i.e. a participant with a phobia of heights may have climbing stairs and other height exposures as appropriate incorporated into their plan). The first 10 week treatment group focused on anxiety completed its first session in 2018. Currently, CBT for anxiety and depression groups are running with a total of four groups to be completed by the end of June 2019.
Summary/Abstract
These groups help participants apply Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to reduce anxiety or depression. Participants learn skills to cope more effectively with situations that increase symptoms. The group program is based on a transdiagnostic framework, which means that it focuses on anxiety or depression as a whole, rather than on specific diagnoses. Treatments include the main components of CBT for anxiety or depression; Including education, challenging thoughts and beliefs, and graduated exposure in the anxiety group, and a focus on behavioural activation for the depression group. The groups are wrapped up with a focus on individual plans and generalizing skills for discharge. Each session is structured around new learning, taking up homework and opportunities to practice new learning. CBT, including transdiagnostic CBT that forms the foundation of this program, is evidence-based and is highly effective for treating anxiety and depression. Prior to group each patient has had a psychiatry assessment within six months of the group. Group psychiatry medical appointments are offered to group participants for psychotropic medication management and follow up support. Pre and post standardized testing with participants is used to assess progress.
Presenter
- Dr. Cameron McGavin,MD, FRCP(C), Psychiatrist, Guelph Family Health Team
- Kim Campbell, M.Sc., R.P., Mental Health Counsellor and Clinic Coordinator, Guelph Family Health Team
Authors/Contributors
- Sarah Johnston, MSW, RSW, Mental Health Counsellor and Psychiatry Clinic Coordinator