Hamilton receives new funding for UTHealth Houston HOMES project | |
|
Jane Hamilton, PhD, MPH, associate professor in the Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, recently received a five-year, $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to continue her work delivering integrated behavioral health treatment to persons experiencing homelessness and struggling with serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders.
Hamilton began working to improve the lives of people experiencing homeless in 2018, when she received an original $2.5 million grant for the project, Treatment for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness, through SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services, which leads federal efforts to promote the prevention and treatment of mental disorders.
She also received funding from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to work with local stakeholders across Texas to convene housing policy summits to improve housing stability for vulnerable and medically fragile populations.
Through these grant programs, she was able to create the UTHealth Houston Homeless Outpatient Mental Health Expansion Services (UTHealth Houston HOMES) program. The goals of the program are to promote long-term mental health recovery and reduce substance use, ensure access to needed primary medical care and psychiatric services, and address social determinants of health by linking patients to social services and permanent housing.
UTHealth Houston HOMES has served more than 500 people experiencing homelessness who have serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders since it was founded in 2018, and will serve an additional 500 patients with the new funding through 2028.
Treatment program activities are data-driven and tailored to individual patient needs and preferences. This is done through a shared decision-making process and includes assertive outreach, screening and referral, evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (trauma-informed and culturally responsive), peer support, and coordinated housing assessments to improve access to sustainable permanent housing.
With the new funding, UTHealth Houston HOMES will provide training for 410 behavioral health and homelessness service providers on the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care, and in trauma-informed care to help reduce health disparities and achieve health equity among people experiencing homelessness.
As part of the new UTHealth Houston HOMES project, Hamilton has initiated multiple partnerships within the community to better serve people experiencing homelessness. These include Bread of Life, Inc.; Temenos Community Development Corporation; The Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual or Development Disability; and UTHealth Houston Harris County Psychiatric Center.
Watching the UTHealth Houston HOMES program grow since 2018 has been a rewarding experience for Hamilton. She says that she and her team collaborate with community partners to meet the patients where they are, which is vital to the program’s success.
“This is very rewarding work to participate in,” Hamilton said. “Houston is considered a model city for addressing homelessness. I’m grateful to work with such an amazing team and dedicated community partners to make a difference.”
Read more about the UTHealth Houston HOMES program here.
| |
Early Bird Special Ends Tomorrow! | |
|
Dr. Jair Soares, Dr. Joao de Quevedo, and Ms. Mary Lopez cordially invite you….
To attend the 2023 UTHealth Houston Mood Disorders Conference on Saturday, Oct. 14 at the InterContinental Hotel in the Texas Medical Center. This course offers six hours of education credits to all specialties. The conference will focus on depression, and how it affects various groups and some of the treatment options for major depressive disorder. This is open to all medical professionals as well as the general public.
Please share this with your faculty, staff, residents/fellows/students, or anyone else interested in attending! Visit https://go.uth.edu/23MDConf to register and to see a full list of speakers. Through September 30, we are running a 20% off early bird special. No code is needed at registration!
Also, the annual NNDC Conference will be the day before ours on Friday, Oct. 13. Registration and schedules can be found on the conference's website.
We hope to see you all at the conference in about three weeks! Please contact Aaron Zapata at Aaron.Zapata@uth.tmc.edu or at 713-486-2715.
| |
De Quevedo talks suicide prevention week: One year later, 988 is saving lives during crisis moments | |
|
Written by: Vicki Powers, UT Physicians
It’s a few seconds between thinking and acting, but it can make all the difference in the world.
“Sometimes, a five-minute conversation over the phone might be just the time you need to organize your thinking process,” said Joao de Quevedo, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Interventional Psychiatry and professor in the Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.
Since the rollout of 988, the three-digit, simplified national crisis number that started in July 2022 (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), trained counselors have answered 46% more calls than the previous 12 months. In total, it adds up to nearly 5 million contacts answered in the last year through calls, texts, and chats, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Not only did the volume served increase, but the average wait time for callers dropped: from 2 minutes and 39 seconds to 41 seconds. This improvement is huge for people calling in a moment of crisis.
De Quevedo has heard the benefits of the crisis line firsthand from patients who have used the free service during a crisis
.
“Patients tell me that having somebody to call, text, or chat was important to give them time to cool down the suicidal ideation,” said de Quevedo, the John S. Dunn Distinguished Professor at McGovern Medical School. “They were in that rumination process, like putting the pros and cons of being alive. Having a third party to easily get in touch with was the difference between them not attempting suicide. It gave them time to rethink and not act impulsively.”
Of his patients who have attempted to take their life, de Quevedo said they regretted it — especially those who had a consequence from the suicide attempt.
Make the call
For people experiencing a tough moment, de Quevedo recommends telling somebody close to you, if you have that person you can trust. If you don’t, he says everyone has access to a phone and should give 988 a chance.
“Bad times happen when you are depressed, and it looks like the bad times are going to last forever,” de Quevedo said. “If you have another perspective to remind you that it’s a bad phase and things might be better, it might buy you time to change your mind and not do something you can’t undo.”
The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. Before 988, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline had used a traditional 10-digit phone number since 2005. Calling the lifeline is just the start.
Continue the conversation
De Quevedo said people still need to make an appointment with a professional to continue the conversation after making a 988 call. While it might have prevented suicide in the moment, the underlying situation is likely still present.
“Pick up the phone, make an appointment, and see a mental health professional,” de Quevedo said. “Do not be embarrassed or feel like you are less than others. Mental illness is an illness just like heart disease or diabetes. It deserves to be treated.”
Suicide hotlines exist in several countries around the world, says de Quevedo. While more research is needed to show how much they help and how they can be more effective, spreading awareness of them is the best thing that can be done.
“We need to make sure everybody knows that this tool is available,” he said. “It has been used more than I expected. It’s not something usual to the United States culture to have a different number for a different kind of need. I like this concept of having a nationwide strategy.”
| |
Spotlight:
Caplan gives new mom help for postpartum depression
| |
|
Written by: Vicki Powers, UT Physicians
For Camryn Masera, age 21, postpartum depression hit her hard about a month after her baby’s birth. As a result of a traumatic delivery six weeks early, Masera had a hard time comprehending that she even gave birth for a couple weeks.
“It was a lot to take in. I felt very alone 24/7, nothing made me happy, and I was irritated all the time,” Masera said. “I would get really sad randomly and feel very anxious. My emotions felt uncontrollable, if that makes any sense.”
Masera said she would get frustrated with her new son, because she was sleep deprived and tired. He would cry, which made her want to cry. Masera connected with Kailey Caplan, MD, assistant professor in the Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, reproductive psychiatrist at UT Physicians, for assistance. Caplan diagnosed her with postpartum depression, which she had about two weeks at that time.
“Postpartum depression is an enormous problem. Around 1 in 8 women meet criteria for the disorder, so the fact that there is so much more research being done specifically into postpartum depression, is important and needed,” said Caplan, who is an assistant professor with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. “Especially since maternal suicide counts for 20% of postpartum deaths.” Caplan said in Texas, particularly, the state has a large maternal mortality problem.
Caplan joined the UT Physicians Women’s Center as a reproductive psychiatrist – a new shared role between OB-GYN and psychiatry. She will primarily focus on reproductive psychiatry issues like managing medications in pregnancy, managing postpartum depression, and psychosis issues related to infertility, grief, and loss.
Masera felt better after talking to one of her mom’s friends and Caplan.
“I don’t feel as sad and alone, because I realized I have to ask for help,” Masera said. “You can’t do it by yourself, no matter how bad you want to.”
New treatment option on the horizon
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new medication to help moms who are suffering with postpartum depression. It is hoped that zuranolone will provide faster relief from symptoms than other drug therapy options.
Caplan explained that future advancements could hopefully lead to treating women quicker and more effectively.
| |
Journal opens discussion on medical education | |
|
A new journal aiming to serve as a discussion floor for people from different backgrounds of medical education has been created by Salih Selek, MD, professor in the Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
Selek created Teaching in Clinics as a platform for discussion for people from backgrounds such as education, medicine, sociology, public health, and psychology of education. The open-access journal focuses on topics such as undergraduate and graduate medical education, andragogy, patient education, innovations in learning, health and teaching policies, and more.
Teaching in Clinics was a significant endeavor driven by the recognition of the evolving landscape in medical education, especially the ongoing innovation in teaching methods to prepare future health care professionals for patient needs,” Selek said. “Despite the diversity of expertise within the Texas Medical Center, there is currently no locally established publication platform to address these issues. By establishing this journal, I aimed to provide a platform for educators and researchers to collaborate, share their insights, and discuss emerging challenges in medical education.”
Selek began the process of creating the publication by outlining the scope of the journal, including an emphasis on inclusivity, innovation, and open access. Then, after collaborating with Bepress and the Texas Medical Center Library, he created a user-friendly submission and review platform to ensure publication of the journal aligns with the policies and mission.
The semi-annual journal will publish various types of manuscripts, including original articles, short communications, innovation, reviews, editorials, and news, specifically welcoming submissions that address innovations in education, health education policies, and diversity and inclusion in teaching and learning.
In an effort to reach the largest possible dissemination of the information in the journal, Selek has decided that Teaching in Clinics will be open access without any charges. Additionally, Selek plans to spread awareness of the journal through printed material and social media networks.
“Overall, Teaching in Clinics is committed to advancing medical education through rigorous research, open access, and a collaborative spirit that welcomes contributions from educators and researchers worldwide,” Selek said. “I look forward to being a valuable resource for the medical education community.”
The latest issue of Teaching in Clinics is available now and can be found here. To submit an article for the journal, contact Selek at Salih.Selek@uth.tmc.edu.
| |
Congratulations to the Seed Grant recipients! | | |
|
|
Thiago Macedo e Cordeiro, MD, MSc | |
Barichello's lab receives awards for the third year in a row at Sepsis Symposium | |
(from left to right)Tatiana Barichello, PhD; Vijayasree Giridharan, PhD; Ngozi Iwunze, research assistant; Chris Beeghly, research assistant. Photo credit: Jose Hernandez, Houston Methodist | |
Houston Methodist hosted the 2023 Sepsis Symposium: Novel Landscape of Sepsis on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. The symposium featured various lectures and speakers covering crucial sepsis-related subjects to enrich fellows', researchers', and clinicians' competence and performance.
Tatiana Barichello, PhD, associate professor; Vijayasree Giridharan, PhD, assistant professor; and research assistants Chris Beeghly and Ngozi Iwunze, all from the Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, received two of the three awards given out for best research posters. This is the third consecutive year Barichello's lab has received an award at this annual symposium.
Congratulations to the team!
| |
|
The following clinical trials are in operation, following all necessary safety guidelines. If you're interested, contact the appropriate study.
Psilocybin for Treatment-resistant Depression Study
This study aims to examine the safety and efficacy of a single-dose of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Patients will be assigned into a treatment or a placebo group.
Contact: 713-486-2697
Stem Cells for Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression
This study aims to examine the safety and efficacy of allogenic mesenchymal stem cells as an adjunctive treatment for treatment-resistant bipolar depression. Patients will be assigned into a treatment or a placebo group.
Contact: 713-486-2627
VNS RECOVER Study
Researchers in the UTHealth Houston Center of Excellence on Mood Disorders are studying the VNS therapy LivaNova device to treat depression as part of the RECOVER trial.
Contact: 713-486-2627
To see all open studies, visit our website.
| |
|
Mitochondrial health index correlates with plasma circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA in bipolar disorder - Molecular Psychiatry - September 2023
Rafaela C. Cordeiro, Camila N. C. Lima, Gabriel R. Fries, Giovana Zunta-Soares, Jair C. Soares, João Quevedo, Giselli Scaini
Blood epigenome-wide association studies of suicide attempt in adults with bipolar disorder - PubMed - July 2023
Salahudeen Mirza, Camila N de Carvalho Lima, Alexandra Del Favero-Campbell, Alexandre Rubinstein, Natasha Topolski, Brenda Cabrera-Mendoza, Emese H C Kovács, Hilary P Blumberg, Jenny Gringer Richards, Aislinn J Williams, John A Wemmie, Vincent A Magnotta, Jess G Fiedorowicz, Marie E Gaine, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Joao Quevedo, Jair C Soares, Gabriel R Fries
| |
|
Jennifer Bahrman, PhD, was quoted in a Houston Chronicle article about the best places to study.
Marisol Mendez, LPC, was interviewed by Univision Houston Channel 45 about how to identify signs of bullying in children.
Lokesh Shahani, MD, PhD, MPH, appeared on FOX 26 News and Cristian Zeni, MD, PhD, was on Univision Houston Channel 45 to talk about suicide prevention for National Suicide Prevention Week.
Cesar Soutullo, MD, PhD, spoke to KHOU-TV Channel 11 about the ADHD medication shortage and how that is affecting his pediatric patients as they head back to school.
| |
|
Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
713-486-2500
Email
Website
| |
| | | |
