Putting prevention into practice

The integrated behavioral health service delivery system model

Costs and effective management of health care in general, and behavioral health care in particular, have been of primary importance and concern to federal, state, and local governments. With the passage of Health Care Reform (HCR) these concerns will only escalate. Thus, the necessity for the development of innovative, successful, and integrated cost-effective treatments and procedures is evident. The behavioral health care model presented here is proposed to address these needs. The model centers on the composition of effective psychosocial treatment and provides a cost analysis of social work and its services. By defining the problems that need to be addressed in health care management and cost containment, and applying findings of evidence-based studies, this article provides an effective model for health care organizations. It also presents a profile of the behavioral health social worker, defining the requisite abilities for effectiveness in the role and looking at the key impact areas for a behavioral health model. This comprehensive guide will prepare new social workers entering health care organizations as well as provide a valuable reference for existing social workers, academics, and practitioners of behavioral health care.

Osteoporosis: prevention and implications for social work practice and policy

Osteoporosis is one of the major disorders of our time and is increasing at an alarming rate. It affects over 10 million women in the United States and is expected to affect 14 million by the year 2020. There are a number of risk factors for osteoporosis that are of a modifiable nature; however, many women do not take the necessary precautions to prevent the disease. The reasons that women do not actively engage in preventative and remedial strategies to deal with the potential for osteoporosis are complex. It is clear that women must have adequate knowledge to make informed decisions regarding osteoprotective behaviors. Social workers are in a unique position to provide interventions not only on a micro level (educating individual clients) but also on a macro level in terms of large-scale education campaigns focusing on nutrition and exercise both in children and in adults. This article examines the reasons for the failure of women to engage in osteoprotective behaviors by exploring barriers to prevention and their impact on social work policy, practice, and research.

Health promotion attitudes and practices of Texas nurse practitioners

PURPOSE

The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional survey was to examine the health promotion attitudes and practices of Texas nurse practitioners (NPs).

DATA SOURCES

Original research utilizing the Health Promotion Practices of Nurse Practitioners Instrument developed by the researcher and completed by 442 Texas NPs.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, Texas NPs have positive attitudes toward health promotion and are supportive of health promotion practices. However, the findings of this study indicate that improvement can be made in the adoption of certain health promotion practices.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The growing number of NPs providing care to patients can significantly impact public health through consistent health promotion in clinical practice.

Behavioral health: Treatment and prevention of chronic disease and the implications for social work practice

The public health problems in the new millennium are largely related to lifestyle. The illness industry has seen a large growth in the United States with health care expenditure accounting for 14% of the gross national product. The field of behavioral medicine seeks to include individual responsibility in the prevention of chronic disease. There are great possibilities for lifestyle change through behavioral interventions. This manuscript outlines various applications of behavioral techniques and interventions utilized for smoking and obesity. Prevention paradigms and implications for social workers are also outlined.