DocTalk: The difference of BH Providers
In the world of Behavioral Health, the help that is available with different types of providers can get confusing. At Midtown Health Center, behavioral health therapy, assessment, and medication management is available to meet the needs of all patient types.
Psychiatrists and psychiatric nurse practitioners, have backgrounds in medicine and nursing, respectively. They are typically the providers who would prescribe and manage medications based on a diagnosis. Midtown currently has one full time psychiatric nurse practitioner on staff.
“A psychologist (on the other hand) completes graduate school and earns their doctorate. This allows them to do a more standardized testing to determine diagnoses, as well as conduct therapy,” Dr. Josh Turek, Midtown’s Chief Behavioral Health Officer said.
LIMHP’s (Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioners) have completed extensive periods of supervised training, and can diagnose and provide therapy for individuals with major mental health disorder diagnoses, but typically without the more formal assessment process available through a psychologist.
Provisionally Licensed Mental Health Practitioners (PLMHP) are graduates of master’s level programs who are still receiving supervision in their practice before becoming fully or independently licensed. All therapists (LIMHP, LMHP, PLMHP) are able offer therapy and intervention for the patients, Dr. Turek said.
Midtown offers therapy for all ages, including patients insured through Medicare. Sometimes it is overwhelming for a patient to know where to start on their journey of mental health but that is where Midtown’s four behavioral health case managers help.
“Our case managers would be the first person a patient would talk to and then they would connect them to appropriate services and provider to best fit their needs,” according to Dr. Turek.
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Midtown Health Center’s DocTalk is a collaborative effort of Dr. Emily Vuchetich, Chief Medical Officer; Dr. David Seger, Chief Dental Officer; Dr. Josh Turek, Chief Behavioral Health Officer as well as Midtown’s other providers. For a full list of Midtown’s providers, as well as more information about Midtown please visit Midtownhealthne.org.
