ESPS Total Wellness

Nature of the Problem

From 1998 to 2016 The CDC (2018) and Kaiser Permanente engaged in a study of 17,000 adult Kaiser Permanente clients. Using a trauma checklist, they asked participants to indicate the number of childhood traumas each had experienced. They also answered questions about psychological, substance abuse, and medical problems experienced in adulthood. They determined that childhood trauma is very common. Additionally, through statistical analysis, the researchers determined that those that had had multiple trauma’s in their childhood, also had more behavioral, mental health and medical problems in adulthood than those experiencing none or 1 trauma in childhood. Information from these studies showed that severe trauma in early childhood significant damages the brain, mind, spirit, and cognition of small children causing delays in the development of a variety of necessary self-management, problem solving, interpersonal, and task skills. With that information and further study by many scientists, it became clear that it was important to treat severe trauma, behavioral disorders and medical conditions in a trauma informed integrated (multidisciplinary) fashion for those that had more than one condition.

Program Description

ESPS Total Wellness provides programs for Behavioral Health. The company recently added neurofeedback, biofeedback, and wellness services in order to treat the whole person in mind, body, and spirit. Clients were offered neurofeedback treatment in addition to an array of more traditional therapies for headaches, anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD and other psychiatric and substance abuse disorders . Anecdotally the results have been very good for many participants. In 2019 the wellness program will add Yoga, Zumba, acupuncture, Reiki, and massage by partnering with the local YMCA and providers. ESPS will be conducting a Peer Support Training for First Responders during January 2019. The training is to focus on the wellness of these individuals. First responders have the highest rates of obesity, cardiovascular disease, divorce and PTSD. Recent statistics have also proven that suicide rates are higher them line of duty deaths. To assist our local law enforcement, this training will be provided to 25 of our local first responders as well as expanding throughout the Eastern Shore. Increasing our first responders’ wellness will help maintain families, increase productivity at their job, increase health, and decrease risks for mental illness and worse suicide.

Disruption

Integrated care is recognized as important in the healthcare arena, the model presented here adds prevention of adult physical, mental, social, and relationship problems caused by early trauma (ACE’s Study by the CDC) The model also takes into account that early childhood trauma can interfere with the development of necessary skills needed later in life. Adult problems with mental health, addictions, physical health, and social problems are implicated, also. A list of activities in the services menu, which includes wellness and mindfulness activities can give clients choices of services in which they wish to participate and reduce the stigma of mental health and substance abuse problems by collectively addressing both strengths as well as problems. The ideas are new and there is much discussion in the agency about which of these changes to our organization will be useful.

Leadership

This model supports the concept of partnering with other healthcare and social service agencies and providers to provide wholistic care to address the issues that are important to the client. The emerging model can be a foundation for cross training and collaboration among providers encouraging the rise of those with leadership skills to move the model forward by spearheading new projects. The more collaboration among disciplines there is, the more likely that leaders will arise from this movement. It also emphasizes that all disciplines are equally important in creating innovative models of healthcare to increase effectiveness and reduce costs.

Scalability

This program has grown from a small seed of an idea within an individual to the leadership of ESPS. From there it has blossomed into a full array of services for those that want to maintain and improve their health We are in the process of implementing the model in other ESPS Total wellness sites, also. As we read information from experts in the field, it appears that these ideas will be a good fit and a innovative addition to the movement underway. This model can be taught to other agencies and professionals, so they can implement some or all the ideas in their agencies.

Results/Outcomes

ESPS Total Wellness has anecdotal reports of positive outcomes from integrated care and new technology. We had a young person around 8 years old come in with her family for an evaluation. When she first arrived, she was emotionally and physically out of control and had been to the emergency room multiple times. She was dangerous to the staff and her mother before we started treatment. She was given neurofeedback. While we were considering hospitalizing her when she first came in, after neurofeedback, & family therapy, she gained major behavioral and emotional self- control and was able to proceed with outpatient therapy. We then discovered that she was being sexually abused by a cousin. Therefore, actions to keep her safe and trauma therapy were added to her regimen. A small study by a psychology Associate demonstrated that more than 90% of clients using neurofeedback had symptom improvement.