Health care costs for patients enrolled in Medicare who were identified with low health-literacy skills were more than four times as high as costs for patients with high literacy, roughly $13,000 per year compared to $3,000 per year.
Activation scores have been demonstrated as predictive of health care outcomes. Patients with low levels of activation have been found to have significantly greater health care costs than those with higher levels of activation. When socioeconomic factors and the severity of health conditions are controlled, patient activation remains predictive of health care costs and utilization.
How can we bend the health care cost curve while increasing the wellness and recovery of those we serve? Heath Literacy and Activation is one part of the answer.
According to Healthy People 2010, an individual is considered to be “health literate” when he or she possesses the skills to understand information and services and use them to make appropriate decisions about health. Lack of health literacy is estimated to cost $106-$236 billion annually. Activation goes beyond seeing a health care provider and understanding how to promote recovery; it’s the art and science of taking action on the information you have been given. It’s doing the things necessary to move toward recovery and wellness.
The 2015 ACHMA Summit explores this topic from several angles. What can we learn from the “physical health” community on this topic? What about technology – is it helping or hurting? How can we take a community approach? What does the research tell us? What does it mean to approach this in a culturally competent or at least sensitive manner? What can we learn from the positive psychology movement?
As an added bonus, we have an optional pre-Summit event exploring health homes in Missouri, the first to implement health homes statewide.
Goals of the Summit:
- Explore how activation and health literacy change the nature and process of healthcare delivery
- Reframe health literacy as more than being able to read and understand a prescription; literacy is specific to communities and cultures and requires working respectfully and cross-functionally with a broad set of partners.
- Understand activation as not something done to those who consume healthcare services (including each of us), it’s about supporting change, listening to motivations, hopes and dreams; addressing stigma; and working as partners with every person to facilitate access to the right tools and programs at the right time.
- Learn from individuals leading successful and innovative programs within this space in order to replicate and expand in our own settings, moving activation and health literacy forward.
The Summit features:
- Catalysts: Keynote speakers who help us think about Activation and Health Literacy in new and fresh ways.
- Going Deeper: Facilitated conversations using Appreciative Inquiry techniques for those who what to think deeply together about the implications of catalyst presentations.
- Tech Tracks: For those who want to think about how technology can facilitate health literacy and activation.
- Putting it Into Practice: Sessions that showcase programs that have implemented innovations within the health literacy and activation space.
- Show Me the Data: Sessions that dig into the data around activation and health care literacy as a support to building the case when seeking to implement innovation back home.
- Resource Ready: Fast-paced sessions that outline tools and resources you can use to implement programs at home.
Prior to the event, attendees will receive an eBook filled with information, articles, research, tools, and resources that help put health literacy and activation into practice. Attendees will have the chance to participate in creating an enriched version of the eBook post-Summit.
Optional pre-Summit Event – Exploring Missouri’s Behavioral Health Homes: Innovations and Cultural Shift
Experience Missouri’s journey as the first in the nation to create a health home initiative. During the day, you will:
- Learn how Missouri implemented and sustained the initiative,
- Hear from the people who helped to shepherd this idea into reality, and
- Visit an innovative health home and dialogue with staff.
More information and registration is available. Registration is limited to 30 people.
EBook Version 1.0
The field of health literacy and health behavior change is expansive and growing. As the health care system is increasing focus on engagement, activation, and active participation in personal health, there are many more resources available in this area. The conceptual understanding of how literacy and activation connect to other aspects of health is important. This e-book is designed to provide a framework for these important concepts by summarizing data, identifying the best resources, and connecting concepts in a meaningful way for the ACMHA membership and field at large.
Your eBook Team – Gina Lasky, Allen Daniels, and Dale Jarvis – have been pulling information into a Prezi presentation, which is a prototype for the “real eBook” that will be created post-Summit.Prezi is the temporary home for this work. As we create more content, we will convert the prototype into a more dynamic web-based eBook similar to the EPA’s EnviroAtlas. Currently, there are 150 slides in Prezi, which requires a long time to load. This will change when we move from the prototype to the real eBook.
Available Slide Decks
Leadership Lessons From Missouri’s Health Homes
– Joe Parks, MD, HealthNet
Activation, Self-care, and Health Literacy
– Paolo del Vecchio, MSW, Center for Mental Health Services, SAMHSA
Health Literacy in the Medical Community – Moving from Treating Illness to Building Cultures of Health
– Ray Fabius, MD, HealthNEXT
Adapting and Adopting Telehealth Systems for Individuals With Serious Mental Illness
– Bruce Bird, PhD, Vinfen
ACMHA Peer Services Toolkit
– Patrick Hendry, Mental Health America
– Tom Hill, Alturum
– Harvey Rosenthal, NYAPRS
Patient Activation: Improving Health Outcomes and Reducing Costs
– Judith Hibbard, DrPH, University of Oregon
Patient Activation: Medical Case Management and Behavioral Health Case Management
– Charles Gross, PhD, Anthem
Community Conversations: Resilience and Health
Community Conversations: Public Health Planning and Community Resilience
– Richard Dougherty, PhD, DMA Health Strategies
– Rev Perry Dougherty, Still Harbor
Highly Rated Apps for Addiction and Mental Health Recovery
– Dona Dmitrovic, Optum
Supporting Health Activation and Health Literacy in the Criminal Justice System
– Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren, 17th Judicial Circuit, Broward County, FL
– Adam Slosberg, ACPS, Beyond Today International
Cultural Activation: Expanding the Concept of Health Literacy and Consumer Activism
– Lenora Reid-Rose, MBA, Coordinated Care Services
– Carole Seigel, PhD, NKI Center of Excellence in Culturally Competent Mental Health
– Sandra Mitchell, Disability Committee, National Action Network
– Onaje Muid, MSW, CASAC, LMHC, FDLC, Reality House, Inc.
How Technology Supports Self-care and Literacy: Insights From the National Health Community
– Aya Collins, US Department of Health and Human Services
Weaving Activation and Health Literacy Into Community Organizations
– Daphne Klein, On Our Own of Prince George’s County
– Jow Powell, Association of Persons Affected by Addiction
Positive Psychology: Happiness as a Different Approach to Activation and Health
– Timothy Bono, PhD, Washington University St. Louis
The New Journey: How Electronic Health Records Can Support Patient Activation
– Virna Little, PsyD, LCSW-R, SAP, Institute for Family Health
20+ Free Activation Tools: No-cost Tools for Addiction Recovery and Mental Health Consumers to Support Activation and Self-care
– Dona Dmitrovic, Optum
Ferguson, MO: It’s Impact on Behavioral Health in Missouri and the Nation
– Malik Ahmed, Better Family Life, Inc.
– Arthur Evans, Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and disAbility Servoces
– Jerry Dunn, Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis
Wellbriety, Activation, and Self Care
– Don Coyhis, White Bison
Reflections on the 2015 ACMHA Summit
Healthy and Activated Communities: The 2015 ACMHA Summit
– Mike Brooks, LCSW, BCD, Center for Clinical Social Work
Behaving, Becoming, and Being Healthy: The 2015 ACMHA Annual Summit
– Ron Manderscheid, PhD, National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors
Keynote Speakers
Timothy J. Bono, PhD, received his BA and PhD in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis where he is currently an Assistant Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences and Lecturer in the Department of Psychology. Dr. Bono’s teaching and research focus on positive psychology and college student development. He is the recipient of the Dean’s Award for Teaching Excellence at Washington University and received the Outstanding Research Award from the Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education. Over the last seven years more than one thousand students have enrolled in his courses on the Psychology of Young Adulthood and the Science of Happiness.
Don Coyhis is the Founder and President of White Bison, Inc., creator of the Wellbriety Movement. Through White Bison, Mr. Coyhis, Mohican Nation, has offered healing resources to Native America since 1988. White Bison offers sobriety, recovery, addictions prevention, and wellness/Wellbriety learning resources to the Native American community nationwide. Many non-Native people also use White Bison’s healing resource products, attend its learning circles, and volunteer their services. Wellbriety means to be sober and well. Wellbriety teaches that we must find sobriety from addictions to alcohol and other drugs and recover from the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol on individuals, families, and whole communities. The “Well” part of Wellbriety is the inspiration to go on beyond sobriety and recovery, committing to a life of wellness and healing everyday.
Paolo del Vecchio, MSW, is Director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). SAMHSA is the lead federal agency designed to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities. Previously, Mr. del Vecchio was the CMHS Associate Director for Consumer Affairs where he directed SAMHSA’s precedent-setting programs and activities that advanced consumer participation and education, a recovery orientation for the mental health system, peer support, and the adoption of certified peer specialists. A self-identified mental health consumer, trauma survivor, and person in recovery from addictions, Mr. del Vecchio has been involved for over 40 years in behavioral health as a consumer, family member, provider, advocate, and policy maker.
Raymond J. Fabius, MD, CPE, FACPE, has served nearly 30 years in health care as a pediatrician, health plan corporate medical leader, large employer global medical leader, president of the largest supplier of workplace health solutions and strategist and CMO for one of the largest global data and informatics organizations, giving him the chance to understand health care from the perspective of the provider, payer, purchaser, supplier, and aggregator and analyst. He’s written books, book chapters, and numerous peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Fabius has recently returned to his start-up HealthNEXT — a company dedicated to the development of organizational cultures of health. Formerly, Dr. Fabius served as strategic advisor to the President of Walgreens Health & Wellness Division. He states he is most passionate about developing systems of care to meet the needs of populations, establishing the ties between the health and productivity of workforces and building cultures of health within companies, organizations and communities.
Judith Hibbard, DrPH, is a Senior Researcher and Emeritus Professor, University of Oregon. Over the last 30 years, Dr. Hibbard has focused her research on consumer choices and behavior in health care. She has a particular interest in testing approaches that give consumers and patients more knowledge and control over their health and health care. Dr. Hibbard is the lead author of the Patient Activation Measure, which measures an individual’s knowledge and skill for self-management. The measure is being used around the world by researchers and practitioners. She advises many health care organizations, foundations, and initiatives and has served on several advisory panels and commissions, including the National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Health Care Quality Forum, United Health Group Advisory Panel, and National Advisory Council for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Aligning Forces for Quality initiative. She is the author of more than 150 peer-reviewed publications. Her recent work appears in issues of Health Affairs, Medical Care and Health Services Research. Dr. Hibbard holds a master’s degree in public health from UCLA and a doctoral degree from the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley.
Joseph Parks, MD, serves as Director of MO HealthNet, Missouri’s Medicaid authority in Jefferson City, MO. He also holds the position of Distinguished Research Professor of Science at the University of Missouri – St. Louis and is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Missouri, Department of Psychiatry in Columbia. He practices psychiatry on an outpatient basis at Family Health Center, a federally-funded community health center established to expand services to uninsured and underinsured patients in central Missouri. He previously served for many years as Medical Director, Missouri Department of Mental Health, and President, Medical Director’s Council of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. He also previously served as Director, Missouri Institute of Mental Health, University of Missouri St. Louis and Division Director, Division of Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, Missouri Department of Mental Health. Dr. Parks has authored or coauthored a number of articles, monographs, technical papers, and reviews on behavioral health services delivery and policy.
Alonford J. Robinson, Jr., PhD, is Chairman and CEO of Symphonic Strategies™ Inc., a research, training, and consulting firm that specializes in solving collective action challenges. Symphonic Strategies™ works with people from all walks of life to help them lead and transform the organizations and communities around them. Throughout his career, Dr. Robinson has advised and worked with leaders in public and private sectors all around the world. He has also been a consultant to the PBS show Frontline, served as a staff writer on the Encarta Africana Encyclopedia of the Black Diaspora, and is an adjunct professor at the Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (CEPL) at the George Washington University and a Lecturer in the Customs and Border Protection Leadership Institute with the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. His courses and seminars include topics that range from strategic management, organizational transformation, executive decision-making, and leading change initiatives. Dr. Robinson also provides strategic coaching for senior executives and emerging leaders across his client portfolio. He holds a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard University and dual bachelor’s degrees in social psychology and political science from Stanford University.
Kimá Joy Taylor, MD, MPH, is the National Drug Addiction Treatment and Harm Reduction Program Director at the Open Society Foundations. Prior to joining the Open Society Foundations, Dr. Taylor served as deputy commissioner for the Baltimore City Health Department. During her tenure there she tried to create more cohesive and integrated public health services for citizens at risk. Before coming to Baltimore, she served as the health and social policy legislative assistant for Senator Sarbanes, with issue areas including Social Security, TANF, pharmaceuticals, Medicare, Medicaid, and other health care policy and women’s issues. A board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Taylor is a graduate of Brown University, Brown University School of Medicine, and the Georgetown University residency program in pediatrics. From 1998 – 2002, Taylor cared for uninsured and underinsured patients at a community health center in Washington, DC, and created a city-wide coalition to advance literacy in pediatric primary care. She worked with other community organizations to empower youth such that they will realize their abilities, grasp opportunities, and improve the world at large.
Breakout Session Speakers
Jei Africa, PsyD, Manager, Office of Diversity and Equity of San Mateo County
Malik Ahmed, CEO, Better Family Life, Inc.
Peter Ashenden, Director Consumer and Family Affairs, Mental Health, Optum
Cynthia Baur, PhD, Senior Advisor, Health Literacy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Sue Bergeson, VP, Consumer and Family Affairs, Optum
Bruce Bird, PhD, President and CEO, Vinfen
Aya Collins, Division of Health Communication and eHealth, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, US Department of Health and Human Services
Colette Croze, MSW, Croze Consulting
Allen S. Daniels, EdD, Consultant
Dona Dmitrovic, Director Consumer and Family Affairs, Addiction Recovery, Optum
Thomas W. Doub, PhD, CEO, Centerstone Research Institute
Rev. Perry Dougherty, Director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation & Society, Still Harbor
Richard Dougherty, PhD, CEO, DMA Health Strategies
Jerry H. Dunn, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor, Executive Director, Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis
Arthur Evans, PhD, Commissioner, Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual DisAbility Services
Patrick Hendry, Senior Director for Consumer Advocacy, Mental Health America
Tom Hill, MSW, Project Director, Altarum Institute
Dale Jarvis, BA, CPA, Dale Jarvis & Associates, LLC
Daphne Klein, Director, On Our Own of Prince George’s County
Gina Lasky, PhD, HMA Community Strategies
Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren, Criminal Division, 17th Judicial Circuit, Broward County of Florida
Virna Little, PsyD, LCSW-R, SAP, Vice President for Psychosocial Services and Community Affairs, Institute for Family Health
Andres Marquez-Lara, Organizer, Promethean Community, LLC
Allie Middleton, JD, LCSW, RYT, Integrative Leadership Practices
Onaje Muid, MSW, CASAC, LMHC, FDLC, Associate Director/Clinical, Reality House, Inc.
Keris Myrick, Director Consumer Affairs, Center for Mental Health Services, SAMHSA
Joe Powell, LCDC, CAS, Executive Director, Association of Persons Affected by Addiction
Lenora Reid-Rose, MBA, Director, Cultural competency and Diversity Issues, Coordinated Care Services, Inc.
Harvey Rosenthal, CEO, NYAPRS
Steven N. Scoggin, PsyD, LPC, President, CareNet, a subsidiary of Wake Forest Baptist Health
Adam Slosberg, ACPS, Managing Director, Beyond Today
Leigh Steiner, PhD, Organizational Development Consultant, Care Management Technologies
