Please require physicians to refer patients to a mental health provider at the time of chronic illness or traumatic injury diagnosis, along with a simple explanation of possible benefits of attending. If there is reasonable expectation of pain management referral for chronic pain associated with the disease or injury they are diagnosed with- to require one appointment attendance with a licensed social worker.
This should lower the occurrence of opiate addiction, should decrease the SSA application rates, and increase the level of satisfactory care, adherence to lifestyle changes and treatment plans. It should also provide earlier diagnosis of mental health concerns and funnel patients into the system for evaluation and treatment.
Thank you.