For many people, lack of understanding and stigma around mental illness and substance abuse can prevent them from accessing needed services. In honor of National Minority Mental Health Awareness month, we talked with a culturally diverse group from Cenpatico’s Care Coordination Team about the increased challenges that minority, and culturally diverse individuals can face in seeking out mental health or substance abuse services.

 ‘In the African-American community, acknowledging that you have a mental health issue is like having a dark dirty secret. It is something that you know is there, but it is also something you just do not want to talk about. In some cases, African-Americans will seek out the counsel of their church leaders rather than seeking professional help. Even if some members of this community did decide to seek professional help, some of them would not know where to begin to look for services. I recently had the opportunity to help address these issues when I attended an African-American Conference here in Austin. At this conference, I was able to help members of the community begin to see the importance and benefit of seeking out professional help. I know that we reached a lot of members in the community that day, and now they are eager to obtain more information that could help a loved one or friend. It is important that we continue to seek out similar opportunities to help the African-American community, and all other communities, realize that living with a mental health issue shouldn’t have to be a dirty, dark secret.’

– Michael Burnett, CC in TX

 ‘When I think of the barriers that some of our minority members have created for themselves, I think specifically of our Caribbean population.  In the Caribbean culture, be it Haitian or Jamaican, some of our members have a desire to manage life’s hardships on their own. If there is a mental health diagnosis, or an issue that needs to be addressed, there is a tendency to try and handle the issue within the family unit, rather than seeking out professional help.  Many Jamaicans, like other cultures around the globe, do not believe in seeking mental health treatment because of the perceived ‘negative’ stigma that may be attached. They believe the problem will simply go away, or they accept the problem as a way of life. As I have also dealt with some of the Haitian population, I have come to realize that religion plays a major part in whether the individual/member does or does not seek treatment.  This culture sometimes relies on God or their family to help guide the member through their episodes rather than seek professional help. As a Care Coordinator, I have to be culturally sensitive and aware of these members while also educating them on the importance of professional mental health treatment.’

– Natalie Brown, CC in FL

‘Many of the minority members we serve have mental health issues complicated by substance use/abuse. Initially, their drug and alcohol use acts as a ”band-aid” to more central problems they are facing. Over time, the occasional use of “band-aids” has the potential to become a full blown addiction. When attempting to engage members in treatment – such as helping them to seek out counseling services or schedule and keep appointments with their psychiatrists – there can be much resistance. A member may think, “Why do I need your medications when I have my own?” As Intensive Case Managers and Care Coordinators, we look at our members as more than a person with a chemical problem and help them to focus on treatment that targets the issues that lead individuals to use to begin with.’

– Jennifer Alamia, ICM in TX

Cenpatico is committed to providing culturally competent services and resources that help individuals and families in their recovery from mental illness and substance abuse. National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month continues through the end of July. For more information, click here to logon to the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ official National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month website.

Tags: mental health, national minority mental health awareness month
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*Please consult you doctor before considering taking you child off of his or her medication

It’s summertime!  Time to go on a … drug holiday?!?  Many parents struggle with whether to take their child off of medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during the summer.  Well, should you stop your child’s medications over summer?  The answer is: “perhaps.”  It depends on your child, what he or she is doing over the summer, the problems that may occur without the use of medication, and your own reaction to your kid’s condition as well as that of your doctor’s position on the topic.

Most children are placed on ADHD medication initially to help them be more successful in school.  It helps them be well-behaved, to concentrate on their work and teachers’ instructions, and exhibit behaviors that are acceptable by their peers.  Therefore, the medication can be very important in helping your child develop both academically as well as socially.  Some parents feel that without the pressures and structure of the school day, there is no reason to keep their child on medication during the summer.

But summer break present its own challenges.  Kids, especially older ones, frequently have less behavioral demands on them and can do very well during the summer without ADHD medications.  However, some younger children may have difficultly with poor impulse control and excessive hyperactivity.  Along with a decrease in structured activities, they may experience the lack of medication as very uncomfortable and anxiety provoking. That may lead some parents, those who find it difficult to deal with their children’s hyperactive behavior, to become frustrated and yell at their children. This can lead to a child developing low self-esteem, anger, and even depression.

Summer camps present a challenge too.  Camps can be either an opportunity to practice appropriate behavior without medication or an absolute nightmare for your child.  If they can’t control themselves, children with ADHD may be yelled at by young inexperienced counselors or even made fun of and rejected by other campers.

However, many camps are sensitive to the needs of children with ADHD, and it’s a good idea to discuss your child’s specific needs with the camp leaders before making a final decision on whether or not to have your children take their medications. There are opportunities for parents to search out various camps based partially on the camps’ experiences with children who have ADHD.

It is also important to plan for summer at home.  Many children, especially younger ones, are far more comfortable with consistency.  Regardless of your child’s summer plans, it is important to set goals for the summer and plan for plenty of fun and structured activities in a warm and supportive environment.

Also, if you haven’t already done so, find a mental health professional who can give you tips on how best to deal with your child’s ADHD symptoms.  Learning how to help your children with ADHD be more organized and gain control of their own behaviors will be one of the most useful tools that you have ever obtained.

As you can see, there is no simple answer as to whether you should or shouldn’t have your child on ADHD medications during the summer.  It depends on your child’s age, severity of symptoms, activities, and your own expertise in handling the symptoms.

I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to discuss this with your mental health care provider, who is a partner in your child’s care, before taking any actions to stop the medications.  Above all, I wish you and all your loved ones a very happy and safe summer!

-Bernard Engelberg, M.D., Medical Director

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I have to admit to doing the unthinkable. You know the smoke alarms in your home that require about five minutes or less of attention a year? They will emit the loud beeping noise that lands like a saber straight to the brain, alerting you to their imminent ineffectiveness if you don’t change the batteries NOW.

I didn’t have the correct batteries on hand on one particular afternoon, and I was expecting a barrage of children anytime to celebrate my four-year-old’s birthday. Annoyed, and in defiance of the invitation to simply take a moment to get the right batteries, I proceeded to dismantle the smoke alarm instead.

I have fought with equipment before – lazy toasters, unresponsive vacuums – and I’m not afraid to exert my will on them. I grabbed a stepladder, took my Phillips head to the screw, and yanked out the dead batteries. I even left the wires hanging out as a warning to the other smoke alarms should they even think about it…

A little while later, in came the children, parents, presents and loud, happy noises – your typical kid party with little bodies running in every direction. Within an hour of arriving, the little one we lovingly refer to as ‘Firefly’ had lit a scented pinecone on fire and smoke filled the room. Unfortunately, the party had moved outside and nobody noticed it or the smothering smell of frankincense. We sure didn’t hear the smoke alarm go off, either, because it had just been eviscerated.

It was only on a restroom run that one of the parents saw the lit pinecone and acted quickly to put it out. No one was hurt, and nothing of any consequence was damaged, but I was a wreck, thinking about the disastrous possibilities.

This lesson won’t need to be offered at my house again!

Now, we always have the correct smoke alarm batteries on hand, and we added a new family tradition. On the first Saturday of the month, we change the AC filter, review our fire safety plan and test the smoke alarms. I admit this wasn’t my idea, though. When my child told his class about the fire, we received an outpouring of safety suggestions from his teacher.

Chagrined, but eager to provide the safest home environment I could, I followed up on the great idea to head over to the local fire station. They have safety checklists and fun kid activities that teach home safety.

There is still the occasional unruly appliance at my house, but the smoke alarm has my utmost respect!

The Home Safety Council annually recognizes June as Home Safety Month. Check out their official website – www.homesafetycouncil.org – there are a wealth of tools available to help make your home safer!  These include a virtual tour of a safe home, the ability to share your personal home safety store, and a safety guide of tips to protect you against the leading causes of home injury.

Additionally, Cenpatico has developed a brochure to improve safety in the home- this includes information on storing medication safely, locking up firearms, and more.

Cenpatico encourages everyone to take the time to find out everything you can about making your home safe – its well worth it.

Robin Cermak

Clinical Quality Improvement Coordinator

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In an effort to promote the idea of complete health and wellness for both body and mind, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recently launched Hearts & Minds, an online self-help health education program centering around three main principles: stop smoking, eat healthy, and exercise.

This simple, yet powerful message is echoed throughout the initiative by a handful of professionals and advocates, including NAMI Medical Director Ken Duckworth, M.D., and through testimonials from people who have seen personal improvement in their lives through this integration of physical and mental health.

Duckworth also penned one of the most helpful resources available on the website, “Roadmap to Wellness for Individuals Living with Mental Illness.”

Providing an introduction to the Hearts & Minds philosophy, the Roadmap details topics such as Medical Self Advocacy, provides a guide to smoking cessation and for dealing with substance abuse and alcoholism, and it promotes a physically health lifestyle centering around exercise and healthy eating.

“Food doesn’t just feed our bodies,” states the website, “it also nourishes our minds.”

The Hearts & Minds campaign presents evidence of the link between physical health and mental health in a clear, easy to understand format with real life applications. One example they present is the increased risk of diabetes for those living with mental illness and the affects of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes on people living with mental illness.

In addition to the Roadmap, some of the downloadable resources include a goal-setting worksheet, complete with tips and ideas for creating and maintaining realistic goals, starter food and exercise journal sheets and a document designed to help individuals keep track of their current medications and other health information.

Cenpatico is pleased to be a long time supporter of NAMI, an organization whose initiatives and programs promote recovery through self-directed care, mental health education and advocacy.  Hearts & Minds promotes and celebrates a philosophy of overall health through self-advocacy, and emphasizes the importance of maintaining knowledge of your family’s medical history, particularly with respect to heart health, and open communication with your doctor.

“If you’re doctor doesn’t ask you if your parents have high blood pressure or high cholesterol or diabetes, you need to tell them,” states Duckworth in the video. “And then you need to demand [the doctors] put resources in your hands to help yourself.”

And thanks to NAMI, Hearts & Minds has made helpful resources available on demand.

Jimmy Donovan

Research Specialist

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Cenpatico School Products, Cenpatico’s school based services subsidiary, has rolled out a new website that encompasses the suite of services offered by CSP including Academic Behavioral Alternatives (ABA Schools), IntegratED Consulting and InSpeech.

Cenpatico School Products started in Arizona in 1995 with ABA Schools, a group of state-approved, private special education day programs. Over time, and in direct response to requests received from school/district customers, ABA Schools began to develop models for more cost-effective programs and services which were directly tied to the communities in which our students resided.  Today, ABA Schools employs more than 60 professional and para-professional staff across more than 20 classrooms at five campuses throughout Arizona.

As the ABA Schools program grew, they began to identify customers that were looking for solutions beyond day treatment for their students and systems. From this newly identified need, IntegratED consulting was created. Through IntegratED we provide direct service providers, psychologists, occupational therapists, behavioral specialists and teachers. IntegratED also provides special educational consultants and administrators who support districts with professional development, training, program improvement and design.

To further develop the network and services continuum, Cenpatico School Products acquired InSpeech in 2009. InSpeech, Cenpatico School Products’ subsidiary, provides speech and language services in schools, hospitals and nursing care facilities.

Cenpatico School Products’ new site provides a wealth of information on these three service lines in addition to more information about our network and career opportunities within Cenpatico School Products.

Click here to check out the new Cenpatico School Products website.

Erin Geoffroy

Marketing Specialist

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Insuring health in America is an ever-evolving prospect. For the past 30 years, health insurance has transitioned from traditional indemnity insurance companies to the early HMO system.

Today, managed care focuses on health and wellness through person-centered care and evidence-based best practices that deliver positive outcomes for members. The emphasis on best practices and person-centered care includes integrating physical and behavioral healthcare. In a recent study, people with depression received integrated treatment in a primary care setting from both the primary care physician and a behavioral health provider. The result was dramatic: 74 percent of the people with major depression in the integrated treatment plan showed significant symptom reduction while only 44 percent of patients who had physician treatment and referral to mental health services at a separate site showed similar improvement.¹ Integration, or collaborative care as it is sometimes called, is not a new topic in healthcare. But only recently have managed healthcare organizations maximized the opportunity for integration available in combined physical and behavioral healthcare programs by taking an active role in supporting integrated health interventions.

Studies have also demonstrated that integrating healthcare is a cost-effective approach. This is due, in part, to increased opportunities for individuals to address behavioral health and physical health concerns simultaneously. This reduces overuse of medical services, which reduces healthcare costs over time.² For people with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, the cost savings maybe even greater—and so may the opportunity to increase wellness.

Knowing that integrated care produces better outcomes for consumers and is more cost effective, Cenpatico has developed intensive case management programs customized to each market we serve. These programs work with our Centene affiliated health plans or external managed care organizations (MCOs) to support and develop integrated care plans for consumers with chronic physical and behavioral health conditions. Through outreach to consumers and community providers, we have successfully coordinated care across systems by building relationships with community care agencies, facilities, federally qualified community health centers (FQHCs) and community mental health centers (CMHCs). These efforts help us to better identify and coordinate the overall care of our members. In addition, our collaborative efforts to remove barriers to treatment work to advance continued recovery for consumers, and are the core of our integrated efforts.

Cenpatico provides innovative solutions for our healthcare system that are intended to increase integration of care. We work with both behavioral and physical health provider agencies to remove financial and administrative barriers for providers, which will improve access to integrated healthcare for consumers. We will continue to develop strategies to support evidence based best practices that produce better outcomes for consumers, and provide cost effective results for the healthcare delivery systems we manage.

Marianne Burdison, Director, Business Development

and Cyndi Campbell, Manager, Business Development

¹Katon, W., Von Korff, M., Lin, E., et al (1995) Collaborative management to achieve treatment guidelines: impact on depression in primary care. JAMA, 273, 1026 –1031.
²Levant, R. F., House, A. T., May, S., & Smith, R. (2006). Cost offset: Past, present, and future. Psychological Services, 3, 195-207. doi: 10.1037/1541-1559.3.3.195

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I have a gripe: as a psychiatrist, I just don’t care for the term “Eating Disorders.” It is just so general and does not do justice to the psychological and physical problems that often lie beneath these different and serious disorders. It really just describes the end result; a person who eats too much or too little to the extreme. Often a person may have just started out by eating smaller or larger amounts of food. But after a while, it gets beyond their control and they eat so little, or so much, that they not only pose a danger to their health but to their very life. Here are some of the most common examples:

Anorexia Nervosa – These are usually (but not always) teenage or young adult females who eat so little that they are at risk of starvation and even death. They can have low blood pressure, brittle hair, thinning bones and heart failure, among a whole host of other physical symptoms.

The real problem here is a distorted body image. Even when they have dieted, vomited, used laxatives and exercised to the point of being only skin and bones, they still see themselves as “fat.” That makes this a body image disorder, and nothing that one says or does can change their minds. Treatment is often long and very difficult, and the object is to help these people gain enough weight to keep them alive and healthy. Fortunately most actually outgrow this illness, but some can have it off and on for a lifetime. And sadly, for a few, Anorexia can actually be fatal since they never learn to accept their body as being “normal” at a weight necessary to sustain life.

Bulimia Nervosa – This is usually quite different from Anorexia. Here an individual has the sense of a loss of control. A person eats an unusually large amount of food, and then often feels guilty about it. That leads to them secretly compensating for such a huge intake by vomiting, using laxatives, fasting and/or exercising to excess. This can also lead to serious problems such as severe tooth decay, dangerous electrolyte imbalances and stomach abnormalities.

The treatment here is frequently psychotherapy and helping a person regain a sense of control, not only of eating, but of their life in general. Other psychological disorders, such as depression, can also be present and need to be addressed in order for treatment to be successful. Medications can often be very useful here.

There are other eating disorders such as Binge Eating, which is similar to Bulimia, but the person does not try to compensate for the over-eating and is often quite obese. This is also a type of loss of control where finding the underlying psychological reasons for the eating behaviors can be very useful.

Lastly, one should not forget overeating, a national health disaster. According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey of 2001-2004, two-thirds of adult Americans are overweight and one-third are obese — figures that have only gotten worse in the previous six years. Overeating can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoarthritis, some forms of cancer and many, many other physical problems that can ultimately lead to a premature death. Here, dieting is not the answer, and it generally does not work as the weight, and often more weight than before, is almost always regained.

Leading a better lifestyle, such as eating more quality foods — including whole grains, fresh vegetables, and fruit, etc. — eating in moderation, exercise and adequate sleep can go a long way in solving this American health crisis.

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week continues through Saturday. If you would like to find out more information on Eating Disorders, I highly recommend the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) website at: www.nimh.nih.gov. You can also call them toll-free at 1-866-615-6464 or email them at nimhinfo@nih.gov.

Bernard Engelberg, M.D.
Cenpatico Medical Director

These are the views of  Bernard Engleberg, M.D. and not those of Cenpatico.

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I had the privilege to attend the 90th Annual Meeting of the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) from Jan. 24-28 in Washington, D.C. The CWLA is the oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization in the United States and a prominent leader in advocacy, policy, research and service for this population.

Also attending this conference were approximately 800 private and public agencies and their administrators and various providers, advocates, researchers and students, among others. The five-day event allowed for non-stop opportunities for me to network with others from across the country and to learn about programs in other states. This was my second trip to this conference, so I was familiar with the schedule and knew to wear my comfortable shoes and to take lots of business cards with me for sharing.

As most of my colleagues know, I love talking about our experiences with the Texas Foster Care program, and I am always full of questions for representatives from other states to gauge where we are and what we can learn to improve our program.

This year, the conference consisted of four “mini summits,” each with a series of five workshop sessions on a focused area of practice, including Leadership, Residential Treatment, Juvenile Justice Systems Integration and Early Childhood Mental Health.

The Residential summit was of particular interest in that we have approximately 1,500 members in residential treatment in Texas and transitions between residential and community care can be very challenging.  We also have concerns about identifying behavioral or mental health disorders in young children to refer them to appropriate treatment.  Likewise, many of our children have involvement with Juvenile Justice, and the network of services is the same for both populations. Each of these areas a critical for program designs for foster care.

I began the week by attending a “Professional Institute” on Sunday. This Institute was an introduction to the Building Bridges Initiative sponsored by SAMHSA that was started several years ago through a grant to “strengthen partnerships between community and residentially based service providers, policymakers, advocates, families and youth.” The initiative “seeks to improve integration, collaboration and innovation and promote best practices that will lead to positive outcomes for children and families.” The work done through this initiative has a great deal of applicability to our Texas program as we have participated in a Texas Public Private Partnership group focused on the top-20 youth in the Texas system that have had difficulty maintaining stability in residential treatment and the community.

Probably the most impactful presenter was a young man who was sent from his home in a large Midwest city to a residential program in Arkansas for most of his teen years. He has since graduated from college, earned his master’s degree and is now an administrator of a mental health program. This young man made a moving presentation on how it feels as a youth to be in a residential program far from family and supports with rules and programs that seem to not have an individual correlation to what the youth needs to improve to return home or to become independent. I look forward to sharing these presentations with my colleagues at the Public Private Partnership in Texas and within the STAR Health program.

I came away from the conference reaffirmed that we all share the responsibility of promoting positive outcomes in an integrated, comprehensive child- and family-focused manner.  Foster Care happens within a system that has many stakeholders.  Behavioral Health is a key stakeholder, but in order for us to be successful in promoting resiliency and recovery we must integrate our services with the rest of the system.  This requires relationships with all of the other stakeholders and understanding of their role within the member’s life.

For anyone who would like more in-depth information on the conference, please contact me at mmcmann@centene.com or at 512-406-7253.

Marsha McMann
Director, Foster Care

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As we begin a New Year, it is important for us to take the time to look back on the events of a year that has gone by quickly. Some of these reflections will no doubt bring to mind some wonderful and incredible memories such as the time we were able to spend with family and friends, or celebrating the birth of a child or remembering how you got that job or promotion you’ve been working so hard toward. Or maybe you said “I do” to the one you love or went on the vacation for which you had been saving for months and months. Maybe you finally reached that weight-loss goal you had been shooting for since the last time New Year’s came around.

Unfortunately, for many of us, this past year may have also included some difficult and challenging times.

But as we look forward to this New Year, it is even more important to reflect on the changes we want and need to make, and to make sure that we follow through on those changes.

To that end, it is now time to begin creating your New Year’s Resolutions. What are your goals personally and/or professionally? Have you created a plan to achieve your resolutions/goals? What can you do to keep the momentum going with sticking to your resolutions?

For many of us, one of the top New Year’s resolutions is to exercise more. Of course, for the first few weeks in January, we are in the gym several times a week along with everyone else that made the same resolution. Then, February and March roll around and the number of people in the gym fades – no more waiting around for a treadmill machine to be available, no more crowded exercise classes. So, what happened to everyone’s resolutions?

Here are a few tips to help keep you on track with your goals for the upcoming year:

Write Down your Resolution(s)

• Make sure your resolutions are meaningful & important to you

Create a Plan (be sure to write it down)

• Make sure your resolutions/goals are reasonable & attainable – losing 30 pounds in two weeks is probably not a reasonable one.
• Establish timeframes and deadlines
• Monitor and track your progress

Think “Year ‘Round”

• Rome wasn’t built in one day. Accomplishing your resolutions won’t happen in one day, either. Yes, it may take only a day or two to determine your resolutions but there are many steps that happen throughout the year to successfully achieve them.

Be Flexible

• Life has a funny way of throwing curve balls at us unexpectedly. You must be prepared to revise your plan, and sometimes it may even require changing the goal. For example, if your plan is to lose weight but you find out you’re pregnant, you’re going to have change that goal around. The new goal might be to eat healthier, exercise more, etc.

A few of my New Year’s Resolutions are to improve my balance between work/life – I want to spend more time at home with my family; help more people by donating to various charitable organizations and/or volunteer more of my time at community events; obtain the Strategic Professional Human Resource (SPHR) certification; and last, but not least, I simply want to Enjoy Life More!

Life is a precious gift. Take the time to take care of and pamper yourself. If you don’t, it will have a negative impact on your happiness and health. As a result, this will affect your family, friendships and productivity at work.

What are your New Year’s Resolutions? I encourage you to follow these steps to help you successfully achieve your own resolutions for 2010. Good Luck!

Larissa Sutton

Human Resources Manager

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We at Cenpatico can look forward to 2010 with the benefit of another year’s worth of experiences and lessons learned that continue to allow us to provide our stakeholders, providers and members with the best possible managed behavioral healthcare.

From new acquisitions to new innovations, Cenpatico’s various experiences ran the gamut in 2009. In association with Centene, our parent company, and our affiliated health plans, 2009 has seen us begin to offer services in three new markets, and we now serve members in all of our markets with an improved, more wide ranging array of services than ever before.

“We were very busy this past year. We did a platform migration in Ohio, fully implemented Florida and implemented in South Carolina and Massachusetts,” said Cenpatico Chief Operating Officer Len Whyte.  “A lot of effort went into this because of the simultaneous nature of it.

“We had a lot of parallel processes going on at the same time, and I’m really proud of the fact that all of them were done with a high quality and functioned appropriately when we went live,” Whyte added.

A New Addition
Not only did Cenpatico open business in several new markets, we expanded our services to include speech therapy services via an acquisition by Cenpatico in the school-based division, Cenpatico School Products.

As of July 1, Cenpatico acquired InSpeech, Inc., an Arizona-based practice of Speech/Language Therapists who contract with school systems to provide services to eligible student populations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

“We bought InSpeech really to compliment what we are doing in the schools with our Cenpatico School Products line,” Whyte said. “And yet, it has opened some doors for other opportunities for us.”

InSpeech is a dynamic practice of speech-language professionals who work, learn and grow together while serving the needs of a broad range of clients in a multitude of settings.

“It’s very exciting to have an opportunity with a new product line that expands the range of services we are able to offer,” added Whyte.

Committed to Quality
In every market, Cenpatico worked to maintain and improve the quality of care offered by our provider networks while also expanding access to recovery supporting services for all of our members. In 2009, our Quality Improvement department conducted five quality improvement studies. Three of the initiatives were clinical and the other two initiatives examined administrative processes.

“In each of the five studies, we are happy to report we have achieved a statistically significant improvement in the care and services delivered to our members and providers,” said Suzanne Feay RN CPHQ, Director of Quality Improvement.

Cenpatico is also continuing toward accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a year-long process that is expected to conclude in March 2010. Along with the rest of the Cenpatico staff, Feay, who is spearheading the project, knows how vital NCQA accreditation will be for the company’s future.

“It’s a measure of commitment from the organization that we are committed to having quality business,” Feay said. “Accreditation in NCQA will push us to a new level of excellence and commitment to quality in the managed care market.”

While we will continue to look back at these and many other experiences from a successful year gone, we at Cenpatico maintain a sense of excitement at what is to come in 2010, when we will work harder than ever before to provide our members, providers and stake holders with the best possible managed behavioral healthcare.

“I’m so proud that our company is excelling in all operational areas,” said Cenpatico Chief Executive Officer Sam Donaldson, PhD. “We are delivering the most appropriate care and support for recovery to consumers, with high satisfaction rates from consumers, state and health plan customers, providers and our employees. Every day we demonstrate the value of a managed behavioral healthcare company in achieving, supporting and maintaining behavioral health Recovery, Resiliency and Results.”

From all of us here at Cenpatico, best wishes for the New Year.

Jimmy Donovan

Web Administrator

This is the final of three reports in a series detailing Cenpatico’s 2009 Year-in-Review. Please see below for links to the other releases.

Title                                                        Release Date
Part I – Taking the Clinical Initiative — Monday, December 28, 2009
Part II – Improving Provider Relations — Monday, January 4, 2010
Part III – Recovery. Resiliency. Results. — Friday, January 8, 2010

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