The North Country Behavioral Healthcare Network (NCBHN) has identified six key prevention strategies to improve health and reduce healthcare costs in the North Country.

All New York State counties and hospitals are beginning the process of developing a three- to five-year community prevention plan. While most counties in the North Country traditionally focus on public health and primary care prevention strategies, the state Department of Health has identified behavioral health as one of five key focus areas to be considered in the 2013 to 2017 county prevention plan.

“We agree with the Commissioner of Health that behavioral health, specifically mental health and substance use disorders including addictions should be considered for inclusion in each of the county plans,” said Executive Director Barry Brogan. “It only makes sense as healthcare reform seeks to integrate services to provide truly patient centered care through programs such as the Health Home Project.”

Prevention strategies should recognize the connection between traditional public health priorities such as reducing chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes and the complicating effect that behavioral health illness contributes,” he said.

NCBHN’s six prevention strategies include, in order of priority:

1. Continued school-based prevention programs focusing on alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco.

2. Ramp up community education and law enforcement efforts to reduce the abuse of prescription medications. This effort to include better electronic tracking of controlled substance prescriptions.

3. Pass legislation regulating or outlawing the new “synthetic pot and opioid” products.

4. Continue to integrate behavioral health screenings in primary care settings.

5. Redouble efforts to develop and deliver suicide prevention programs which are age appropriate – youth, adult, and senior.

6. Adequately fund recruitment and retention programs which will attract the best and brightest behavioral health professionals to rural communities. The North Country specifically needs providers who can treat and prescribe for individuals living with behavioral health illnesses.

NCBHN is a coalition of 19 non-profit behavioral health agencies providing services in Essex, Clinton, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Jefferson, and Lewis counties.

For information about the Network, or to find a behavioral health provider look on the web at www.behaviorhealthnet.org.