Standardizing Best Practices in Mental Health Treatment

Ever wondered what it takes to navigate the behavioral health industry successfully? Join us in our enlightening conversation with Michael Castanon, CEO and founder of Mindfuli and Alter Health Group. A dedicated advocate for mental health and emotional support, Michael shares his first-hand experience in this competitive landscape. We delve into the challenges of opening an effective treatment center while emphasizing the power of human connection and its transformative impact on mental health care.

Our discourse extends to exploring the significance of establishing standardized best practices and defining clear outcome goals in mental health treatment. We discuss the essence of maintaining a healthy work environment for caregivers, the ripple effect it has on patient care, and the role of therapeutic alliances in facilitating life transformations. Michael's insights on the importance of quality care serve as an inspiration for anyone interested in mental health care. This captivating conversation is sure to leave you both inspired and enlightened about the ever-evolving field of mental health.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:00

Welcome to Hatching Creativity . This isn't just another behavioral health podcast . This is the place where thought leaders converge to talk about real-life challenges , breakthroughs and pivotal aha moments . Thanks for tuning in to Hatching Creativity . In today's episode , I get the chance to speak with Michael Castanon , who's the CEO and founder of Mindfully , a platform that's designed for continued mental health care and support , as well as Alter Health Group , a behavioral health care treatment center in Orange County , california . What we speak about is what it takes to open a successful treatment center in this competitive landscape . If you like what you hear , please like , share , subscribe and tell all your friends about the Hatching Creativity podcast .

Speaker 1 0:49

Hello everybody , I'm Michael Castanon , ceo and founder of Alter Health Group and Mindfully . We are a primary mental health and SUD treatment organization . We provide a full ecosystem of care . We also have a virtual platform called Mindfully that is rooted in measurement-informed care . We're big believers in building up the science of the therapeutic alliance and the power of human connection and the power of human transformation . We've also been awarded multiple grants to provide support of mental health and emotional support to the greater society , first through COVID-19 , and now through California through a grant that came down through the Department of Health Care Services and I'm happy to report we've provided over 65,000 encounters of care for free for those in need of support . Michael is one of my favorite people to talk to in this interview . I'm really excited to have you here . You can track your data information with some of these people that are watching and some people that can use some additional help . So , michael , my question for you today is with all of the treatment centers out there and it seems like there is a ton there are there are still slowly people looking to break into the industry . How are people able to come in to such a saturated market ? What needs to be done differently in order for somebody to be successful ? That's a great question . A great question and a question , I think , that is drawing more providers into the space in of itself , because there is a plethora of organizations that are looking to sort of meet the demand in our society For mental health care .

Speaker 1 2:48

Mental health shows up in a myriad of different fashions . Right , it could be addiction , it could be different diagnosis , like just depression , anxiety , sort of bipolarism . There's a number of things . There's a full myriad of issues , but I think what we're seeing in the industry is that there's not generalized , standardized best practices , even though we're trying to create that , and so people that are really well-intended , that have a purpose-driven approach to answering the call . They come in with good intentions , but there's not necessarily a playbook , there's not necessarily a roadmap for how do you really actually do this thing and how do you do it well and how do you do it in such a way or at least to ultimate life transformation of the clients that you're looking to support . So I think that's where the gap is . I don't think it's anything that's defective in our industry . I think there's a lot of really good-intended people like you and I . We're here because we want to help , we want to make an impact .

Speaker 1 3:57

So what comes first the standardized best practices or the standardization of what is a good result ? Like , do you need to know what a good result is first and then kind of build towards that , or do you think that it's better to start by building the best practices , then figuring out what a good result is and then adjusting the best practices ? Man , you asked great questions . This is why I so I so relate to you and adore you . I was curious . This is good , all right , so let me . Let me try to unpack that . So the question is should we start with a standardized sort of agreement on what the outcomes should be , or should we start first with building out some best practices to get to that outcome ? Right , I would say they're both equally important . But there's a lesson I've learned in any industry and any endeavor , and that is to begin with the end in minds . Start with the end in mind , and so having some general understanding of what the target is and aim for that target is what I would recommend . What are the outcomes that you really want to put into place , and then what is it going to take to get to those outcomes ? So that would be my recommendation . I like that .

Speaker 1 5:30

You know one of the things that , as it relates to outcomes that we come across all the time at and I'm not going to try to not get on a soapbox here Do it , though , if you feel compelled . All you're looking at , for your outcomes are symptom based measures , then there's some kind of a significant missing . You know I'm a big reporting out for the recovery capital index . Yep , talk about them all the time . Yeah , they're looking at quality of life . That's right . Right , and quality of life is so important , that's right . They're going into treatment because they don't want to have schizophrenic episodes . Right , they're going into treatment because their life has become unmanageable , the way that they're currently living , that's right . So when we look at outcomes , it's really important that we expand what we're looking at and actually measure it in . You know , long term and quality of life , oh great . I don't think that this is a one and done proposition .

Speaker 1 6:32

Now , going back to the belief that you have to have a target and you have to begin with the end in mind . Now , there really is no end here in this regard . But there are targets and there could be incremental targets right . But outcome measures in of themselves are not enough , right . I believe that in order to get positive outcomes , you have to affect treatments and the way you treat in a positive way . So one of the things that we have done is we have worked on the science of human connection , the therapeutic alliance , the working alliance . What is it between two human beings that makes that connection , that strategic alliance , lead to life transformation ? That is critically important . And then , what are the evidence-based practices underneath that that you use to bring about the positive transformation ? The outcomes that you're looking for ?

Speaker 1 7:38

Outcomes on them , on their own are not enough . They must be first preceded by quality outstanding care . I love it , you know you . One last thing you know you talked about quality outstanding care . One thing that you guys do really well that I absolutely love is the way you take care of your own . Yes , you know , I went , I had a chance to visit Walter out for a bit and get a tour , and the people that work are all smiling . I mean , you're dealing with high-acuity patients , that's right , not like you're dealing with the big leziest population . Yes , but your people seem to have it all under control and that comes from doing the right thing for your people . So , you know , if we talked about this on the , the couple last week , or that with the layer , we take care of your people and they're going to take care of your , face shows and overall the whole thing improves that way .

Speaker 1 8:37

Yeah , I think it starts in the culture , the leadership . The focus has to be on the purpose first , which is caring for your clients , and then secondly is who are the people that are caring for the clients ? How do you care for them , how do you pour into them , how do you support them ? They have to have the mindset , the frame of mind , the well-being that they're trying to transmit to others , absolutely Got some sage advice from Mike Nastinon , mindfully an alternate health group .

Speaker 1 9:11

Now I have one last question for you . Yeah , please , what are you grateful for today ? You know , I'm grateful here to be amongst like-minded people that are all trying to help others that are in need , and it's just . I've had some great discussions today , like with you and others , that just sort of encourage me to keep moving forward . So if you are in the industry and your heart and soul is in this , I encourage you . You know , please stay with it , stay the course . I know it's difficult and if we can ever be of help , mike and his team . It has compliance . It's a world-class compliance solution . If you ever need help or counsel or support or advice , I'm always here to encourage and support as well , and he means it , by the way , he's not just saying it , he really does mean it . So thank you , and thank you for joining us . Thank you , brother . Now I always like to ask or I'll let you go , because I've got you captive here now . Yeah , I'll coffee it up too . Let me do it why I'll be right here . What would be the one piece of business advice you would give a treatment center owner who may be just starting Be uncompromising about the mission .

Speaker 1 10:32

Keep the mission front and center . If you focus on the mission , the margin will follow . But do not compromise being non-negotiable . There's some certain non-negotiables we have to have in life . Keep that quality care front and center . Good things will follow if you do Awesome . Thank you so much , mike . Thank you , sir . Appreciate it , wonderful Thanks . Thanks for tuning in to Hatchin' Creativity . We appreciate your support . Please don't forget to like and subscribe and tell all your friends about the show and remember it's never just about one thing .