Texas Tech Health Science CenterPermian Basin

Department of Psychiatry

Background

• Current mental health service shortages• Increase in demand as more Texans become

insured through the Affordable Care Act• Increasing inpatient behavioral health

admissions • Continued population growth of RHP 14 region• Serving West Texas’ largely rural counties• Serving the uninsured and underinsured

Expansion of Services

• Reduce wait time to less than one week for existing services• Increase services provided to include geriatric, child,

forensic, & psychosomatic • Introduce Tele-psychiatry services to the West Texas Region

for patients who currently travel more than 45 minutes to receive services

• Provide Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) • Increase access for and reach out to vulnerable segments of

society such as women with postpartum depression, and children and adolescents who show self-harming and suicidal tendencies

Tele-psychiatry

• Develop and make available Tele-psychiatry services to the West Texas region, including the adjoining 22 counties.

• Reduce the current patient wait time especially for those who travel over 45 minutes to receive services

• Tele-psychiatry can make a significant impact on the delivery of mental health services, particularly to individuals with less access

• Patient access is improved and satisfaction is high• Reduction of stigma associated with mental health services• Improved convenience and greater likelihood of compliance

Electroconvulsive Therapy

• Develop and make available of Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) services to indicated psychiatric patients

• ECT is the safest and most effective treatments available for severe depression

• Consultations will be performed by Dr. Jain at the Texas Tech Physicians of the Permian Basin Clinic in Midland

• ECT procedures will be done at Midland Memorial Hospital under the supervision of Dr. Jain

Develop Community Outreach Programs

• Develop liaisons with the school districts and hospitals for referrals • Support Groups :

Depression Support Group Caring for Moms: post partum support group HOPE: Hold On Pain Ends- Adolescent self-mutilation group Helping Hand: Terminally ill cancer support Anti-Bullying Support Group Fibromyalgia Support Group Eating Disorder Support Group Dialectic Behavior Therapy (DBT)/Cognitive Behavior Therapy

(CBT) Support Group

Recruit Faculty and Staff

• Two PhD psychologists

- Dr. Melanie Sheets

- Dr. Shelley Blancett • Licensed Social Worker

- Amber Chavez, LSW • Retain a recruitment firm to begin procuring another

psychiatrist