Donald Miskowiec, recently retired CEO of LaSalle, Ill.-based North Central Behavioral Health Systems and current executive director of the LaSalle County 708 Community Mental Health Board, sat down with Becker's to share projects he is excited about, his top priorities and what he sees for the future of behavioral health.
Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity. If you would like to contribute to our next question, please email hdesilva@beckershealthcare.com.
Question: What are your top priorities today?
Donald Miskowiec: As a mental health authority, we work to maintain, increase and administer local funding to support services in the areas of mental health promotion and treatment; substance use disorder prevention and treatment; intellectual and developmental disabilities and related mental health services. Top priorities include assisting funded organizations with the ongoing workforce crisis in recruitment and retention; providing educational resources and building the awareness and understanding of county residents about good mental health, suicide prevention, substance use/overdose prevention, and how to seek help and access services; and accountability in measuring outcomes and demonstrating value in services.
Q: What projects or initiatives are you most excited by?
DM: We've recently embarked on a community education, outreach and referral program focused on how to access and receive both crisis and ongoing services to assist residents in navigating the sometimes overwhelming mental health and substance use disorder service system. Our hope is that the program outcomes will result in further enhancement of our efforts to link individuals and families to services and in assisting health and human service providers in appropriately making referral for services.
Q: How do you see behavioral health evolving in the next two to three years?
DM: Recent increased national attention/funding for ever-growing behavioral health service needs presents unprecedented opportunities to improve our existing behavioral health service system and hopefully address priorities such as the workforce crisis and suicide and overdose prevention needs. The use of technology in service delivery will continue to be refined and grow; integration with primary care will continue; and recognition of the whole-health model and the impact of the social determinants of health and mental health on overall wellness and the cost of healthcare will slowly accelerate.