Bay-Arenac Behavioral Health Annual Report 2004

Over 4,400 of your friends and neighbors in Arenac and Bay Counties received services through Bay-Arenac Behavioral Health (BABH) in 2004. Most people who sought help were diagnosed with mental illness, including depression and anxiety. Mental illnesses are biologically based physical disorders caused by a malfunction in the brain’s chemistry. Depression is one of the 10 leading causes of disability in the United States.

People challenged with developmental disabilities accounted for 629 of the people served in 2004. Developmental disabilities include a range of biologically based conditions effecting a person’s physical and mental functioning, that can interfere with their ability to live on their own or obtain employment.

Mental health problems effect men and women, the young and the old fairly equally. BABH serves relatively similar numbers of men versus women in most age groups, although there is some difference in the proportions for the young and the elderly.

Most people who obtain services through BABH live with family or in their own homes, as appropriate to their age. Various services are offered for those who do require assistance with daily living. In recent years, the number of people being supported in their own homes instead of residential care settings has been increasing. In 2004, 209 people used residential care but 350 had staff in their own homes to help them learn how to care for themselves.

Of the people receiving services through BABH in 2004, 40% were not in the labor force due to their age, or the need to better manage symptoms in order to work. Thirty percent were unemployed, as compared to the current jobless rate of 7.5% in Michigan. BABH supports people with mental illness and developmental disabilities to build their skills to obtain employment and pursue volunteer opportunities or other meaningful activities in their communities. 576 people used these services in 2004.  

Many people utilize case management services to learn more about their diagnosis and the services available, to coordinate their services and for support in improving their quality of life. BABH case management staff worked with over 2,000 people to help them achieve such goals in 2004.

Some people find therapy and counseling, often in conjunction with medication, to be the key to leading an active and balanced life. BABH provided therapy and counseling services to over 1,800 people in 2004. Psychiatric staff conducted 2,476 office visits to prescribe medications to ease the symptoms of mental illness.

BABH operates an emergency service, which was used by over 700 people in 2004. Most people talked to a mental health professional for emotional support and to learn how to access follow-up services. However, some people needed more support and medical attention. Last year BABH staff facilitated the admissions of 363 people into psychiatric hospitals and 151 into crisis stabilization services to help alleviate their symptoms.

Most people receiving services through BABH in 2004 utilized Medicaid, Medicare, or other benefits to help cover the cost. BABH supplements these sources of revenue with State General Funds and local appropriations from the Bay and Arenac County Commissions.

In 2004, BABH placed greater emphasis than ever before on two exciting concepts for supporting people with mental illnesses and those struggling with substance abuse. Recovery is the name of a new approach where people with mental illnesses take control of their lives through empowerment and by developing practical plans for responding to daily challenges and personal crises, before the events occur.

The other initiative well underway at BABH is the integration of mental health and substance abuse treatment for people experiencing both conditions. In the past people had to seek help for their mental health concerns before or after their substance abuse treatment. Unfortunately, the two are often linked and it can be difficult to sort out the main cause of symptoms. This new approach frees people to creatively combine service options for more effective treatment.