Population Health

  • Pennsylvania’s Performance Improvement Project – Prevention, Early Detection, Treatment and Recovery (PEDTAR)
    Presenter: Tammy Pooler, PhD
    Recorded: December 16, 2021

    In 2021, Pennsylvania’s Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) launched one of the largest quality improvement projects to improve outcomes for individuals with substance use disorders to date-- Prevention, Early Detection, Treatment and Recovery (PEDTAR). Specifically, the goals of PEDTAR are to significantly slow, and eventually stop the growth of substance use disorder (SUD) prevalence among HealthChoices members, while improving outcomes for those with SUD, while addressing racial and ethnic health disparities through a systematic and person-centered approach.

    In response, Community Care will implement a phased approach to intercept individuals in crisis to engage in SUD treatment, employ care management approaches to improve engagement in care, and utilize peer support to aid longer-term retention in care. Rapid response and access to medication assisted treatment is central to Community Care’s response to the PEDTAR quality improvement project.

    This presentation will provide an overview of Community Care’s planned activities of PEDTAR and how these activities may impact our staff, provider network, members, and communities.

    Tammy Pooler, PhD
    Tammy Pooler, Ph.D., is a Director of Quality at Community Care Behavioral Health Organization. Dr. Pooler began her journey in the behavioral health field more than 25 years ago and has been with Community Care since 2004. She has a passion for prevention activities, quality improvement and the use of data to inform decisions. Dr. Pooler completed her doctorate in Public Health (with a specialization in Epidemiology) in 2015; following completion of her doctorate, she added a public health and epidemiology focus to her quality improvement activities.

  • All About Methamphetamines
    Presenter: Rebekah Sedlock, DSW, LCSW
    Recorded: October 06, 2021

    This presentation reviews methamphetamine and the impact of methamphetamine use on the body and brain. A history of methamphetamine is presented, as well as techniques for working with people who use methamphetamine.

    Rebekah Sedlock, DSW, LCSW is a Project Director at Community Care in Pittsburgh, PA with a focus on improving clinical care in substance use disorder (SUD) agencies. She recently completed her doctorate in social work, focusing on the role of therapeutic jurisprudence in the SUD treatment referral process. Ongoing projects at Community Care include education of internal staff and stakeholders on various topics related to SUD, case consultations, development of performance standards, and engaging SUD providers through data feedback loops.

  • Reducing Stigma for People with Substance Use Disorders
    Presenter: Rebekah Sedlock, DSW, LCSW
    Recorded: November 09, 2021

    This presentation examines words and phrases used that have led to stigma for people with substance use disorders. The presentation identifies three types of stigma and how to lower the impact of each.

    Rebekah Sedlock, DSW, LCSW is a Project Director at Community Care in Pittsburgh, PA with a focus on improving clinical care in substance use disorder (SUD) agencies. She recently completed her doctorate in social work, focusing on the role of therapeutic jurisprudence in the SUD treatment referral process. Ongoing projects at Community Care include education of internal staff and stakeholders on various topics related to SUD, case consultations, development of performance standards, and engaging SUD providers through data feedback loops.

  • Moving Through the Stages of Change
    Presenter: Rebekah Sedlock, DSW, LCSW
    Recorded: November 08, 2021

    Community Care Behavioral Health, in collaboration with Lycoming/Clinton Joinder is hosting a training series for a variety of topics. The third in the series: Moving Through the Stages of Change: This presentation reviews the Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change Model) and ways to employ motivational interviewing techniques throughout the stages of change. Participants will have multiple vignettes throughout the training and will apply motivational interviewing techniques to the vignettes. Participants will also participate in a Real Play activity and work through how to apply engagement strategies with the vignettes and themselves.

    Rebekah Sedlock, DSW, LCSW is a Project Director at Community Care in Pittsburgh, PA with a focus on improving clinical care in substance use disorder (SUD) agencies. She recently completed her doctorate in social work, focusing on the role of therapeutic jurisprudence in the SUD treatment referral process. Ongoing projects at Community Care include education of internal staff and stakeholders on various topics related to SUD, case consultations, development of performance standards, and engaging SUD providers through data feedback loops.

  • Behavioral Health Home Plus Registry Overview
    Presenter: Dr. Jaspreet Brar, MBBS, MPH, PhD
    Recorded: July 14, 2024

    Dr. Brar is a Senior Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital and a Consultant at Community Care Behavioral Health Organization in Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to Psychiatry, he is trained as a clinical epidemiologist and his clinical. academic and research interests have focused on modifiable cardiovascular lifestyle factors namely, body weight/obesity and smoking that contribute to increased mortality in persons with serious mental illness (SMI).