November 3, 2011
Arlington, Va. — The American Psychiatric Association presented four outstanding mental health programs with APA Gold, Silver, and Bronze Achievement Awards at the APA Institute on Psychiatric Services meeting. Descriptions of the award-winning programs are presented in the November issue of Psychiatric Services, a journal of the American Psychiatric Association.
Gold Achievement Award: Community-based Programs. The Burke Center’s Mental Health Emergency Center in Lufkin, Tex., was honored for bringing comprehensive psychiatric emergency services to rural communities in 12 counties in eastern Texas. The Burke Center is the first freestanding comprehensive psychiatric emergency program with psychiatric services performed by telepsychiatrists.
The use of telepsychiatry makes possible a level of services often not available in rural areas. The center provides psychiatric care that would have previously resulted in inpatient referral and reduces the burden on overcrowded emergency departments in the region. The center employs a multidisciplinary team including nurses, licensed counselors, mental health technicians, and a case manager, along with the psychiatrists available via teleconference.
