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Now serving Veterans...

7/31/2014

1 Comment

 
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I am so excited! I just got the news that Flourish is now Tricare-certified. That means I can now see veterans through Tricare's contracted insurer in our region, Humana-Military. There's been lots of news coverage lately about the lack of mental health services available through the VA hospitals, including long waiting periods for services, difficult systems to navigate, and lack of evidence-based care for disorders like Major Depressive Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The National Council on Behavioral Health projects that at least 30% of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan need treatment for a mental health disorder, and that less than 50% of those will actually get it. 

I saw this difficulty firsthand working with veterans during my internship. I immediately felt a connection and desire to help. I've seen the effects of war within my own family, and there's so much we can do to support our service members. 

So, it is great news that the VA is expanding mental health care by adding community providers like Flourish to their roster of available providers. 

Here's the latest information about coverage directly from a Tricare representative on the phone today:
  • If you have the PRIME plan, a referral is required from your physician to see a mental health counselor for a $12 copay per session. 
  • If you choose the Point of Service (POS) option on the the PRIME plan, you have a $300 deductible and will pay 50% of the session fee.
  • If you have the Standard plan, the full fee for the session will be covered. After 8 sessions, a prior authorization will be required. 
And here's a handy chart that outlines coverage for mental health and substance abuse services. 

For more information, you can also visit the Humana-Military website. Click on "Find a Provider" under Beneficiary, and search for Tricare mental health counselors in your area. There may be a delay in Flourish showing up as a provider, but I've been assured that I can start taking clients! I'm looking forward to helping serve our nations' military and their families. Thanks for reading, and leave a comment to show your support! 

Go and be and flourish...---Kambria

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Are you feeling your community?

7/28/2014

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Will I be uncomfortable?
                                     
Will I feel like an outsider? 

What will people think of me?                                  

Will I have anything to say? 

Will it be easy to make an exit when I need to go?

So I spent a recent Sunday morning teaching yoga to my sister-in-law and some of her neighbors. And it made me think about Alfred Adler, as I often do, since I use many of his ideas in therapy. My sister in law uses an app called NextDoor and she used it to  invite basically her entire community to come on over. Turns out there were a lot of people interested in front yard yoga and it sparked conversation about how to bring people together and what can be accomplished when neighbors know one another and spend time together.  It's what Adler called "Gemeinschaftsgefuhl" which is German for "community feeling" or "social interest."

His idea was that people are social animals. No matter whether you identify as introvert or extravert, we all need each other to survive. For instance, you gotta go to the grocery store to get food, and there are people at the grocery store you must navigate around and negotiate with in order to get your food. You have to deal with a bank and/or an employer to get the money you need to pay for your food. You have to manage a relationship with the electric and water providers to keep utilities on at your house. We've designed our societies in a decidedly social way. Do you agree? And it turns out that feeling like you have membership in a community is incredibly important to mental health. 

If that person at the grocery store is in a bad mood or is rude, it stings a bit right? If our employer is unhappy with our work, we are troubled. We have an innate drive to get along with others, and to contribute in a positive way to our communities.

The tricky part is that it takes courage to be part of a community, doesn't it? I can speak for myself and say that I haven't been to a neighborhood association meeting in like 10 years, seriously. And I feel bad about that because I know it would be a great opportunity to meet neighbors and learn about what's going on around me. But what's stopped me from going? Well lack of time, is always the go-to answer, and it's true, I have been incredibly busy having babies and getting a new degree and developing a career, yes. 

But really, there's an emotional barrier as well. There's a little voice in the back of my head telling me it could be a bad experience. Here are some things that cross my mind:

Will I be uncomfortable? 
                                     
Will I feel like an outsider? 

What will people think of me?                                  

Will I have anything to say? 

Will it be easy to make an exit when I need to go? 

See, this idea about courage if Adler's too. He used the terms "encouraged" and "discouraged" to describe adjustment and mental health. Instead of labeling someone as depressed, he would say they were discouraged about their ability to find joy in life the way they once did. If someone had chronic anxiety, he may think of them as being discouraged about meeting new challenges successfully. It's no accident that encouragement has the word "courage" in it. When we are encouraged, we are able to persevere through fear. One of my favorite quotes about courage is from a book called "At Home in the Muddy Water" by Ezra Bayda: 

"...we can find our edge, that place where we are closed down in fear, and allow ourselves to experience it. This takes courage, but courage isn't about becoming fearless. Courage is the willingness to experience our fears."

Do you agree that it takes courage to face the world out there? And IS this community connection vital to health and well-being? 
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Alcohol, celebration, and Revelry: Leads to Violence?

7/16/2014

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I love historic cities and towns. My husband and I visited New Orleans recently for a long weekend, and loved strolling through the narrow streets of the French Quarter, admiring the beauty of its architecture, and imagining all the days gone by.

We also, of course, witnessed its vibrant nightlife, with revelers on the streets until the wee hours of our Saturday night, talking, laughing, dancing, and celebrating.  To our surprise on Sunday, we received a text from a family member asking if we were okay and that there had been a shooting in New Orleans. We were shocked, sitting on the streetcar admiring the Garden District at the time, with no knowledge of any such events. But we soon learned it had happened the previous night not far from where we stayed. It was around 2 AM outside a bar on Bourbon Street where two young men had an altercation and began shooting at one one another. Ten people were wounded, and the two gunmen fled. One of them has since been identified and extradited back to Louisiana from Mississippi. He is only 20 years old. One of the ten victims died after several days in the hospital. She was a 21 year old nursing student.

Wow. There are so many consequences of alcohol and drug abuse, but this kind of violence is the most serious. I don't know the details of the evening leading up to shooting or whether the shooters were intoxicated at the time of the incident, but the proximity to a bar is definitely suggestive, yes? I suppose every beautiful place has its not-so-beautiful moments, but this was a real does of reality during an otherwise escapist trip to New Orleans. 

Research does suggest that youth who use illicit drugs or alcohol are more likely to become violent. What do you think about the connection between substance abuse and violence? When does partying go too far? I'd love to hear your feedback. 

 
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    Kambria Kennedy-Dominguez, Counselor and yoga teacher specializing in mental health, substance abuse and wellness.

    Megan Kennedy, Counselor specializing in adolescents and families.

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972.755.9120 Phone  214.723.5345 Fax
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