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Local Voices

Wheeler Clinic Launches Innovative In-home Services for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Members

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield (Anthem) and Wheeler Clinic have collaborated to bring an innovative in-home covered service to promote safety and stability in their home community for children and youth who are Anthem members and experience acute behavioral health or substance abuse challenges.

Wheeler Clinic’s Intensive In-home Behavioral Health Services (IIBHS) program serves Anthem members between ages 3 and 17 who are at high risk of an inpatient admission or have a history of emergency department, inpatient and/or residential admissions.  Youth referred to IIBHS by a hospital emergency department, inpatient program or by an Anthem care manager receive 24/7 crisis support and strengths-based, intensive in-home individual and family therapy from a team of Wheeler clinicians. 

“Wheeler’s noteworthy outcomes, demonstrated capacity to deliver quality, community-based services and extensive experience serving families across Connecticut made this an ideal collaboration,” said Dr. Steve Korn, at Anthem. “Our projects with Wheeler have been driven by a shared spirit of innovation and a commitment to results.  This is the first of a few agreements we have been working hard to secure in order to provide behavior health in-home covered services to Anthem’s young members who are at high risk of inpatient admission. ”

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“Working with Anthem to deliver the IIBHS program to Anthem members allows Wheeler to bring the extensive expertise we have developed in community-based care to a broader population of children and youth with complex behavioral health needs,” said Susan Walkama, LCSW, President and CEO of Wheeler Clinic.  “We have a highly successful history of helping youth with serious emotional and behavioral challenges to remain safe and stable in their home environments, diverting emergency department utilization and avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations. We believe these services will be a valuable addition to Anthem’s continuum of covered resources.” 

Wheeler Clinic provides a comprehensive array of evidence-based, intensive in-home services to more than 800 youth and families each year.  These programs consistently demonstrate significant reductions in problem severity, emergency department utilization, inpatient hospitalization and residential admission for youth receiving services.  Significant reductions in school suspensions, truancy and juvenile arrests are also achieved.  Youth experience improvements in functioning, coping skills and family satisfaction.

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The IIBHS program serves Anthem-enrolled families in 81 cities and towns including all of Hartford and Tolland counties and multiple communities in New Haven, Fairfield and Windham counties.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut: 

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of Anthem Health Plans, Inc., an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. ® ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.  Additional information about Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut is available at www.anthem.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at  www.twitter.com/healthjoinin, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HealthJoinIn, or visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/healthjoinin.

About Wheeler Clinic:

Wheeler Clinic, founded in 1968, is a statewide, independent, not-for-profit, community-based organization that provides a comprehensive continuum of mental health and substance abuse recovery services, primary care, child welfare, special education, early childhood, community justice, foster care, employee assistance and prevention and wellness programs. The clinic serves more than 30,000 children, adolescents and adults in Connecticut each year. Visit www.wheelerclinic.org.

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