Behavioral Health Awareness Month

May-June 2019

a young woman sitting against a wall

With May being the national month for mental health awareness, it's a good time to learn about and discuss available resources for both patients and providers.

Nearly one in five U.S. adults experience a mental illness in a given year. Mental illness is an important health issue and untreated or unmanaged behavioral health issues may worsen or lead to physical health conditions. Stigma and discrimination can make it hard to access care.

The use of screening tools can be an easy way to identify symptoms and then use as a conversation tool to talk to your L.A. Care patients about treatment options.

Screening tools that can be utilized by primary care physicians include:

  • PHQ-9 depression questionnaire
  • GAD-7 anxiety screening
  • Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)
  • Alcohol Misuse Screening and Counseling (AMSC), formerly SBIRT

If your L.A. Care patients need to connect with behavioral health services, they can contact Beacon Health Options at 1.877.344.2858.