LEWISTON – Substance abuse training was conducted recently by the Primary Care Integration Project.

Accessing both primary and behavioral health care in one primary care medical practice location is a recent trend in community health care practice. For two years, the B Street Health Center of Community Clinical Services has been the site for a pilot project in the use of the case management model to integrate primary and behavioral health care.

Funded by the Maine Health Access Foundation, Common Ties Mental Health of Lewiston, Community Clinical Services and Sisters of Charity Health Systems have developed a variety of resources and practices to be used by the clinical staff of the B Street Health Center.

The intent is to enhance knowledge, skills and resources in an effort to increase access to care that is comprehensive and quality driven.

A lunch and learn training recently featured William Lowenstein, associate director of the Maine Office of Substance Abuse. Lowenstein presented a number of materials relating to the assessment and diagnosis of substance abuse disorders, the relationship of substance abuse to physical health problems, as well as treatment strategies to assist clients in their recovery.

Other presenters were Jim Lysen, executive director of the Federally Qualified Health Center; Lynda Morin, case manager, Common Ties Mental Heath; and John Coffin, director of programs for Common Ties.

The clinical team is headed by Dr. Amelia Randolph and includes Frances Berks, psychiatric nurse practitioner, Lynda Morin, RN, and Dr. Scott Treworgy, MD, providing psychiatric consultation to the team.

For additional information on the integration model, contact Coffin at Common Ties Mental Health, 795-6044, 100 Pine St., Lewiston, [email protected] or www.commonties.org.