Links to Health Program Enters its Fifth Year

For nearly five years, Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties (JFS) has offered the innovative Links to Health (LTH) program, a Behavioral Health Home model that provides individuals with healthcare assistance, care coordination, mental health and medical services, and coaching.

“At JFS, our professional staff maintains vast expertise in an array of mental health and medical services,” said Ann Thoresen, JFS Chief Operating Officer. “By engaging individuals, we are able to provide a level of support, help meet their needs, and increase access to education and services related to their physical and mental health, which subsequently promotes independence. Recently, LTH began offering participants educational and supportive groups and the feedback has enabled JFS to continue to enhance and improve the curriculum.”

As healthcare advocates, the LTH team, led by Integrated Case Management Services Program Director Marie Reyes-Canales, a nearly 25-year JFS staff member, handle scheduling appointments, connect individuals to medical and mental health specialists, and serve as the communication liaison between providers inclusive of doctors, nurses, therapists, case managers and more.

With a dedicated team, Case Managers Sheila Concepcion and Winter Harmon, Nurse Educator Eileen Boyer Durante, and Nurse Care Specialist Jasmine Shelley, maintain a realm of experience from providing insight on how to engage clients to work toward health goals, coaching and support for chronic disease management, depression, targeted medical screenings for cancer, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases, facilitate wellness groups and activities, and other individualized needs.

Since its inception, Links to Health has helped more than 245 clients within Atlantic County. LTH is available to individuals over the age of 18 who reside in Atlantic or Cape May Counties. Program participants must have a chronic or at-risk medical condition, diagnosed with any form of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and/or bi-polar disorder. Participants receive a continued level of care that help them stay healthy and out of the hospital and emergency room. LTH also prioritizes the facilitation of communication among behavioral health and medical care providers in both acute and ongoing basis to assure a person’s needs are being met and handled in a timely manner.

JFS Links to Health is certified by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the State of New Jersey. JFS is currently accepting new program participants and referrals are strongly welcomed. For more information on Links to Health, contact 609.822.1108 x153 or LTH@jfsatlantic.org.