Local mental health provider talks teamwork and expanding to meet the needs of the community

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10)- Healthcare has spent the last nine months adapting to a changing environment because of COVID-19. One of the most significant is the widespread use of telehealth to deliver care.

As local communities struggle with mental health issues, both ongoing and in some way brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the health care community has been struggling to provide care to everyone seeking help.

In order to continue providing mental health care services, it’s important to make sure that clinicians get the support they need too, said Founder and Director of HPA/LiveWell in Albany, Dr. Julie Morison.

With full caseloads, mental health providers need the support of other providers and administrative staff in order to continue to be able to provide quality care. Dr. Morison said their business model supports clinicians so they can focus on the most important aspect of their job- helping people struggling with mental illness.

It’s difficult for mental health providers to work on their own without support. Between administrative duties, having to work directly with insurance companies in order to get paid for their services, and no team members, Dr. Morison said it doesn’t leave much time for patient care and may lead to burnout.

Being able to target therapy for different family members is beneficial for each individual family member Dr. Morison said. It’s also beneficial to have a variety of mental health providers with different specialities because it creates a wide support net.

Dr. Julie Morison discusses the need for therapists that specialize in behavioral health/treating adolescents and how her practice enables therapists to provide quality care