Meridian Behavioral Health Services Inc

Programs: Significant accomplishments and programs: 1. A local managed care organization designated meridian as one of five "comprehensive care centers" in a 23 county region. The centers provide a "core services bundle" that includes ready access to assessment services (walk-in centers), basic benefit services (individual and evidence-based group treatment), psychiatric/medication evaluation and crisis services. In addition, the centers provide an array of medicaid-funded, enhanced services (assertive community treatment team, intensive in-home and others). 2. Meridian continues to be one of the leading proponents of the "recovery" initiative for adults. In north carolina, requests for training and consultations continue. Training programs in wellness recovery action planning, peer employment, and recovery education for individuals in and outside of the organization are provided. 3. There are now recovery education center facilities in macon, jackson, haywood, and transylvania counties. These facilities provide adult students with classes including parenting with love and logic, recovery lifestyles, meds, trauma, hope and recovery, sa recovery discovery, and living in balance. 4. Meridian continues to be recognized for the work it does with its assertive community treatment team services for adults. The teams in haywood, cherokee, and jackson counties have expanded to be mid-size teams which indicate that each team can now serve 75 consumers. 5. Meridian recently expanded its offender services program to include a domestic violence intervention program. 6. Meridian continues to assist employees who wish to attain dual credentials in substance abuse and mental health. Employees in all service programs are eligible to participate in this initiative. It is meridian's plan to have dually-credentialed, dually-competent clinicians in all services and programs. 7. Meridian introduced the new pace peer support services in 2014. This program is provided by peers and is structured and scheduled for activities for adults age 18 and older with a diagnosis of mental health and substance use disorders. This is an individualized, recovery-focuses service that allows individuals the opportunity to learn to manage their own recovery and advocacy process. Interventions by peer support staff serve to enhance the development of natural supports, as well as coping and self-management skills, and may also provide supportive services to assist an individual in community re-entry following hospitalization. Specific interventions include: self-help, system advocacy, individual advocacy, pre-crisis and post-crisis support, housing, education / employment, meals and social activities. 8. A new supported employment program was added in 2015. Supported employment is an evidence-based practice that has shown to be effective in assisting individuals acquire and maintain competitive paid employment, particularly those for whom employment has not been achieved and/or has been interrupted or intermittent. Services are driven by the program participant's preferences and choices. One of the hallmarks of this service is that no one is excluded ("zero-exclusion") from participation in the program on the basis of readiness, diagnosis, symptoms, substance abuse history, psychiatric hospitalization, level of disability or legal system involvement. The service clearly affirms that employment is a path to recovery.