Center for Life Management: Dedicated NH-ME LEND Clinical Site

This month, we are pleased to highlight our NH-ME LEND clinical partner, Center for Life Management (CLM), one of New Hampshire’s community mental health centers.  Over the past few years, trainees have joined the organization under the guidance of 2010 NH-ME LEND alum, Julie Lago, MSW, LICSW, Director of Collaborative Care. They have partnered with Julie and her team, including two NH-ME LEND alums, Jesse Burlwood (2019) and Suzanne Austin (2022), to learn about the Continuum of Collaborative Care Model. This multidisciplinary assessment model was created in collaboration with Community Crossroads to bridge gaps and help create equal access to mental health services for people with disabilities in their communities.

The Continuum of Collaborative Care Model has developed organically since first being piloted over a decade ago. Julie Lago notes that the pilot began as a necessity when recognizing the similarities and redundancies between the mental health and developmental services systems, such as annual meetings, treatment planning, and collection of documentation.

Lago shared, “With the idea of decreasing redundancy and improving efficiency, while taking the approach of ‘same page, same team,’ we began to set an expectation of care along with our partners at Community Crossroads, our local area agency. We did this through bringing meetings and planning together as one comprehensive multidisciplinary team while ensuring that a whole-person approach to mental health services was prioritized to person-centered outcomes. We have grown to develop and include clinically informed behavior services and support those with acquired brain disorders, as well as those with Intellectual developmental disabilities and mental health needs.”

Community Crossroads’ Executive Vice President, Jennifer Chisholm MEd, has been an essential partner in the development and success of the Continuum of Collaborative Care model. The entire Community Crossroads team is dedicated to the success of this care-coordinated program.

Thanks to Center for Life Management’s dedication to providing a rich and valuable clinical experience for our LEND trainees and for providing valuable community-based services to individuals with complex mental health and developmental disabilities.