The MHA released a new episode of the MiCare Champion Cast exploring how clinicians are navigating virtual care in the behavioral health space.
The episode, released during Mental Health Awareness Month, features two providers from Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services. Dr. Heide Rollings, M.D., child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship director and Dr. Lisa Vroman Stokes, Ph.D., manager of Forest Hills Clinic and child and adolescent project coordinator, joined to share insights about the advantages and challenges of telemedicine in the behavioral health setting.
“We know that for children and adolescents – especially in rural communities – it can be really wonderful to have [telehealth] as an option,” said Dr. Rollings, who also serves as an assistant clinical professor in the division of psychiatry at Michigan State University.
Flexibility plays a big part in the new normal. Although virtual options have helped improve access, both Rollings and Stokes noted that it can’t always substitute in-person screenings and treatment. In many cases, clinicians must communicate expectations to patients early on to develop effective treatment plans within virtual and hybrid formats.
“We’re finding ourselves in a position as providers of re-educating and acclimating our patients to how they can most effectively engage and benefit from treatment,” said Dr. Stokes, who also oversees predoctoral psychology interns at Pine Rest.
As demand for behavioral healthcare services increases, staffing shortages continue to impact the workforce. In an effort to grow the talent pipeline, Pine Rest offers a variety of educational opportunities to those entering the field. This includes:
- Academy For Nursing Students
- Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Psychiatry Training Program
- Master’s Level Internship Program
- Child And Adolescent Fellowship
- Psychiatry Residency Training Program
- Addiction Fellowship
- Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship
- Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship
- Neuropsychology Fellowship
As the third-largest non-profit mental health care provider in the country, Pine Rest offers a full continuum of care for mental health and substance use disorders in West Michigan. In addition to their outpatient locations and psychiatric urgent care, the health system is also building a pediatric behavioral health center slated to open in 2026. Pine Rest was one of six organizations to receive grant funding following a $50 million appropriation from the Michigan legislature as part of the 2023 State Budget, which aimed at increasing the number of inpatient beds available for pediatric psychiatric patients across the state.
The episode is available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud and YouTube. Those interest in learning more about the services, Questions or idea submissions for future MiCare Champion Cast episodes can be sent to Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.