Hope Community Resources, Inc. (Hope) offers a wide range of behavioral health supports to individuals choosing to receive services from Hope. Hope also offers behavioral support services to staff members and careproviders. These services are delivered through the Health and Wellness and Mental Health Networks, the Community Wellness Center and Human Resources. Additional expertise is available from a staff psychologist and several contracted behavioral health specialists. The following are some examples of our behavioral health network of services.


Publications and Paper Presentations

Assuring Behavioral Health Supports across Settings (Summit on Social Inclusion - May 06)

Prevention

Hope engages in active quality assurance and risk-management activities in the delivery of services. Careproviders receive appropriate behavioral health training and adhere to a policy of positive support. For each individual we identify and monitor safety needs. To be more effective, we strive to identify each individual's unique strengths and limitations. We then implement specific interactions that maximize communication and work toward valued outcomes.

Crisis Response

Hope trains staff and care providers to respond to behavioral health crises in a consistent supportive manner. In most cases, individuals assist with the development of emergency response procedures and give agreement before implementation. Safety is a primary concern.

Consultation/Technical Support

Consultation and technical assistance are provided to individuals, their families and advocates and to care providers across a variety of topics. Examples include helping to develop a consumer satisfaction questionnaire, assisting Care Coordinators with treatment planning, planning for major transitions, and working with administrative staff on special projects. Helping careproviders with intervention guidelines improves the effectiveness of behavioral supports and interactions.

Evaluation

Evaluation services include individual psychological evaluations and assistance with related administrative needs such as Medicaid waivers. Other evaluation procedures assist careproviders with an understanding of functional skills and limitations.

Clinical Services

Supportive counseling and therapeutic interventions are offered to individuals supported by Hope through individual and group formats.

Positive Behavioral Supports

When particularly challenging behaviors require intensive supports, the Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) model is used. A collaborative team effort tries to identify the function of certain behaviors, or, in other words, what the individual is communicating, although inappropriately. The team, with the individual, identifies alternative forms of more appropriate communication. The individual then learns new behaviors that lead to valued outcomes. PBS is a comprehensive behavioral support process.

Training/Continuing Education

In-service training is ongoing. Hope supports the concept of life long learning for individuals, foster parents and support staff. Various training topics include implementing active learning, understanding psychotropic medication and using behavioral supports. Further training is offered through Specialized Training and Support Seminars (STSS) at the Community Wellness Center.

Consultation and Technical Assistance

Hope staff members are provided ongoing access to consultation and technical assistance, helping staff to cope with difficult situations such as loss and grief, high levels of stress, challenging behaviors and other "emotional hazards." Regular debriefing sessions, staff retreats, and other supportive strategies are available.

Employee Assistance Program

For careproviders and their immediate families, Hope offers as an employee benefit access to the services of an employee assistance program. Psychology Resources provides confidential behavioral health referral services.

 

Herbert G.W. Bischoff, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Behavioral Health Support
1-907-561-5335
hbischoff@hopealaska.org

 

Chuck Lester, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist
Behavioral Health Support
1-907-561-5335
clester@hopealaska.org

 

Marti Romero, MS
Licensed Professional Counselor
Behavioral Health Services Director
1-907-550-6551
mromero@hopealaska.org