December 2020 BHARC Insights – “Policing: De-Escalating Mental Health Crisis” is Now Available Online

December 2020 BHARC Insights – “Policing: De-Escalating Mental Health Crisis” is Now Available Online

December 7, 2020 (Lanham, MD) – In recent months and years, national news and social media have documented multiple instances of police officers using excessive force or fatally injuring civilians, including individuals with mental health problems. Published by the Behavioral Health Advancement Resource Center (BHARC), this inaugural December 2020 Behavioral Health Spotlight offers insights and commentary to Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Programs.

CIT Programs teach police officers how to respond to a person experiencing mental health crisis and de-escalating the situation. It is designed to be a community-based partnership with law enforcement, mental health professionals, peer support specialists, mental health advocates, and positive community supports. “This article illustrates that CIT community partnerships can be a positive component of a response to mental health crises—ultimately saving lives and strengthening law enforcement relations within communities,” said Anton C. Bizzell, MD, BHARC advisor and CEO of The Bizzell Group (Bizzell). BHARC is funded by Bizzell.

The BHARC Behavioral Health Spotlight is a thought leadership series highlighting various behavioral health topics that impact communities across the United States and abroad. “Policing: De-escalating Mental Health Crises” was written by Mim Landry, a BHARC Advisory Council Substance Use and Mental Health Expert. The article describes the CIT goals and core elements and includes a review and commentary of recent literature as an evidenced-based framework in helping individuals who experience behavioral health crisis.

DOWNLOAD THE ARTICLE HERE.

About BHARC

The Behavioral Health Advancement Resource Center (BHARC) is an authoritative source for behavioral health information, insights, technical assistance, training, and innovative tools. BHARC is a mechanism to share evidence-based behavioral health interventions and best practices. The BHARC Advisory Council consists of experts in substance use, mental health, clinical trials, pharmaceuticals, and healthcare standards and quality.

About Bizzell

Established in 2010, The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) is a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) certified strategy, consulting, and technology firm that specializes in program management, administrative support, communications and outreach, conference management and logistical support, health services and research, technical assistance, and training and development. Bizzell’s expert staff and consultants work on health, scientific, education, environmental, research, and information technology projects that advance national priorities. Under the leadership and vision of founder, Anton C. Bizzell, MD, the company has grown from a staff of two in one small office, to a thriving firm with offices in Lanham, MD; Rockville, MD; Atlanta, GA and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with ongoing projects around the world. Learn more about how we develop data-driven, research-informed, innovative solutions to complex-real-world challenges: BizzellUS.

Coping with Holiday Blues During COVID-19

Coping with Holiday Blues During COVID-19

In a Psychology Today article, “Coping With Holiday Blues During COVID-19,” Dr. Anton C. Bizzell focuses on how to cope with holiday blues during COVID-19, including tips for recognizing and managing your stressors.
The holiday season is a wonderful opportunity to spend time with family and friends, catch up, participate in family and religious traditions, and enjoy the company of loved ones. For some, the holidays are associated with triggers, stressors, and emotional landmines. For many of us, it is both. And all of us will have to alter our holiday routines due to the virus. However, we can navigate the holiday season by using simple but powerful tools. Doing so allows us to enjoy the benefits that the holiday season can bring and take steps to prevent or manage stress. We can create a new holiday normal, Dr. Bizzell concludes.

READ MORE: Coping With Holiday Blues During COVID-19

Preserving the Mental Wellness of Our Healthcare Heroes

Preserving the Mental Wellness of Our Healthcare Heroes

Dr. Anton C. Bizzell underscores in Psychology Today how The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) helps preserve the mental wellness of our healthcare heroes. People often choose a career in medicine because they desire to help, heal, and make a difference. They have the drive to fulfill these responsibilities, and their accomplishments are often groundbreaking.
“We can never forget that these healthcare workers are human beings, not robots,” Dr. Bizzell writes. “As this pandemic stretches toward a second year, we cannot expect them to continue to do their jobs well without better support for their mental well-being.”
Organizations—including Bizzell—are beginning to step up at the national, state, and local levels to help these everyday heroes.

READ MORE: Preserving the Mental Wellness of Our Healthcare Heroes

Lessons for COVID-19 Recovery From the Ebola Epidemic

Lessons for COVID-19 Recovery From the Ebola Epidemic

In a recent Psychology Today article, Dr. Anton C. Bizzell highlights some of the lessons The Bizzell Group (Bizzell) learned during the most recent Ebola virus epidemic. Bizzell partnered with local, national, and international groups to improve health outcomes and mental health consequences in the Democratic Republic of Congo. These lessons can help address the global mental health crisis already emerging due to COVID-19.
“We cannot focus solely on the transmission of COVID-19,” Dr. Bizzell writes. “We must formulate an innovative and sustainable response that addresses the global mental health crisis already emerging.”

READ MORE: Lessons for COVID-19 Recovery From the Ebola Epidemic