New Strategic Partnerships

The Milieu Therapeutic Services is excited to announce our strategic partnerships with two industry leaders: Headway and Grow Therapy! These collaborations will allow us to streamline our services, enhance the client experience, and empower our team to focus on what matters most – providing exceptional mental health care.

Introducing Our Partners:

• Headway: A revolutionary platform designed to simplify and expedite the referral process for mental health professionals. Headway connects providers with a vast network of qualified clinicians, ensuring clients receive the most appropriate care.

• Grow Therapy: A comprehensive practice management solution specifically built for the unique needs of mental health providers. Grow Therapy streamlines administrative tasks like billing, scheduling, and claims processing, allowing us to dedicate more time and resources to our clients.

A Streamlined Journey to Recovery

The Milieu's partnerships with Headway and Grow Therapy will deliver several key benefits for our clients and our team:

• Simplified Referrals: Finding the perfect therapist can be a daunting task. Headway's platform makes it easier than ever for potential clients to connect with the right Milieu therapist based on their needs and preferences.
• Enhanced Revenue Cycle Management: Grow Therapy's intuitive platform automates administrative tasks, allowing us to focus on delivering exceptional care. This translates to faster processing of insurance claims and less time spent on paperwork.
• More Time for Client Care: By leveraging Headway and Grow Therapy's expertise, our talented therapists can spend less time on administrative duties and more time building meaningful connections with their clients.

A Commitment to Collaboration

These strategic partnerships represent The Milieu's unwavering commitment to continuous improvement. By collaborating with industry leaders like Headway and Grow Therapy, we can ensure a seamless client experience, maximize efficiency, and ultimately, empower our team to deliver the highest quality mental health care possible.

We look forward to this exciting new chapter and the positive impact it will have on our clients and our practice!

White Paper: How Community Stabilization can serve those in Need.

 

Read the White Paper here

The Milieu Therapeutic Services - Now Offering Mobile Crisis and Community Stabilization!

We're thrilled to announce that The Milieu Therapeutic Services has become a licensed provider of Mobile Crisis and Community Stabilization services in Virginia! This is a significant development for our organization and a major step forward in mental health services across the state.

A New Era of Support

Our licensure, obtained in February 2024 from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), allows us to deliver critical support directly to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. This innovative approach represents a significant shift in Virginia's mental health landscape, which has traditionally relied on a public hospital system since the opening of Eastern State Hospital.

Mobile Crisis and Community Stabilization: What it Means for You

Mobile Crisis and Community Stabilization services provide immediate intervention and support for people experiencing a mental health crisis. Our team of qualified professionals will come to you, wherever you are, to assess the situation, develop a safety plan, and connect you with the resources you need. This can include:

• Crisis intervention and de-escalation
• Mental health assessment
• Development of a personalized crisis plan
• Connection to ongoing mental health treatment
• Support for navigating the mental health system

Hope and Support When You Need It Most

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please remember, you are not alone. The Milieu Therapeutic Services is here to help. In the event of an emergency, you can now reach us directly by calling the new national crisis hotline number: 988.

We are committed to providing accessible, compassionate care and believe that Mobile Crisis and Community Stabilization services will play a vital role in strengthening Virginia's mental health system.

Stay tuned for more updates!

We'll be sharing more information about our Mobile Crisis and Community Stabilization services in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Press Release: Call to Action regarding change to State's Crisis Care System

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Willard A Vaughn, LPC, CPSC

Chief Executive Officer

The Milieu Therapeutic Services, PC

willard@themilieu.net

Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Not Interested in Radically Changing the State’s Crisis Care System.

Yorktown, VA – June 14, 2023 – With a July 1 deadline looming, there is concern that the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) is not truly interested in radically changing the state’s crisis care system. This is in spite of a 2020 report by DBHDS that projects a 137% increase in demand for crisis care in the coming years.

Willard Vaughn, a licensed counselor and CEO of The Milieu Therapeutic Services, has been working on a comprehensive approach to crisis care for many years. “This is especially important given that the majority of localities in our region are Mental Healthcare Provider Shortage Areas,” he said. “However, there has been no communication from the regional crisis hub about next steps. I have tried to work with the existing Community Service Boards (CSBs) to fill gaps in care, but I have been mostly ignored or gaslit.”

Vaughn provided a specific example of how he has been ignored or gaslit by CSBs. He said that he reached out to CSBs to offer his services in response to a trending topic in the field of a regional team that can assess individuals under an Emergency Custody Order or that can initiate the Temporary Detention Order process to improve the provider shortages and reduce or eliminate client wait times. He said that he has repeatedly reached out to CSBs to offer his services, but they have either ignored him, told him there is no need for change, or dismissed his outreach by saying that they were still “gathering information”.

“It is clear that DBHDS is not interested in radical change,” Vaughn said. “They are content to keep the status quo, even though it is clear that the current system is not meeting the needs of Virginians. I am passionate about reforming these systems, but it is frustrating to see that DBHDS is not interested in listening to those of us on the front line.”

The US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration and the National Association of State Mental Health Directors have both said that public systems should work with private providers to ensure that all clients have equal access to resources. However, it appears that DBHDS is not interested in following this guidance.

“It seems like all that DBHDS is interested in is changing the phone number to call for help,” Vaughn said. “They are not interested in addressing the underlying problems with the crisis care system. This is a missed opportunity to improve the lives of thousands of Virginians.”

Vaughn added that he and his team have already studied the problem extensively for the purpose of trying to attract investors, so they have the information and expertise to make a difference. However, he said that investors are not interested in collaborating with someone who routinely performs these services. He also said that the state still has very few resources aside from inpatient hospitalization throughout the state, and that providers are almost reluctant to develop innovative responses for fear they would not be utilized or reimbursed by insurance companies for being outside the norm.

“We are at a critical juncture,” Vaughn said. “We need to act now to reform the crisis care system in Virginia, or we will face the consequences of inaction.”