By now you’ve probably heard the news that Ocean Mental Health Services has become Bright Harbor Healthcare.  One month ago, the leading community provider of mental health, behavioral and addiction services, and integrated care in the community changed their name. 

 But why the name change?  As William Shakespeare asked over four centuries ago: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. 

The answer…Integrated Care!  

What Does Integrated Care in the Community Mean?

Yes, of course! We know you’ve heard the term, but…what exactly is integrated care? What does it mean for the community?  The integrated care philosophy and practice are based on treating the “whole person.”  This means that every physical, emotional, and mental part of a person is discussed, assessed, and treated in order to effectively keep them healthy. Caring for our whole selves including our minds, bodies, spirits, intellects, environments, careers, and social health directly improves our overall wellness. 

So Why The Name Change?

Our professionals have been practicing integrated care in the community for decades. Because of this, Bright Harbor Healthcare opted for a moniker that would better reflect our mission of offering a comprehensive continuum of mental health, drug and alcohol services, and integrated healthcare services to promote full participation in community life. 

In addition to our core mental health, behavioral, and addiction services, Bright Harbor Healthcare also provides primary care, an on-site pharmacy, an integrated trauma center, and most recently, TMS therapy (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation). The Bright Harbor Healthcare family of services includes Ocean Academy and the Bright Harbor Foundation among others.  

Above all, Bright Harbor Healthcare strives to provide truly integrated and holistic care to individuals, families, and the community.

Integrated Care: The Gold Standard

Providing integrated care in the community has become the gold standard.  The concept of caring for the whole person rather than each part separately gained traction in the mid-twentieth century but wasn’t widely practiced until the mid-’90s.  The fact that a person’s mental health can affect their physical health or vice versa should have been simply common sense from the beginning! However, it turns out that integrated healthcare had to confront centuries-old thinking that separated the mind and body. 

The History of Integrated Care in the Community

Philosophers, medical practitioners, and the general public believed that the mind and body were two distinct entities for centuries.  This mindset was based on the widely-accepted concept of Cartesian dualism proposed by French philosopher, Rene Descartes in the 17^thcentury. 

This model solidified the separation of mind and body in medicine.  As a result, medical research focused on the anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of the body. It was not until the 20^thcentury when the psychosomatic movement became popular in the United States and Europe and the mind-body separation began to narrow. 

 We were on the right track, but the psychosomatic theory was not without its own issues.  For example, its single-cause tenet that employed one event like distress to explain a disease. 

Enter Integrated Care

In 1977, George Engel proposed the biopsychosocial model that recognized the nuanced and multifaceted causes of disease along with the need for collaborative care and treatment teams.  

You are reading that correctly: 1977!  It has only been 44 years, less than half a century of looking at the whole person walking through the door for exactly that, not separating the mind from the feet that took the first step to heal and become more whole. 

Keep moving forward with Bright Harbor Healthcare.

SPECIES and Wellness

When it comes to integrated care in the community, it can be helpful to think about holistic wellness in terms of seven dimensions. In healthcare, we call this the SPECIES acronym, standing for social, physical, emotional, career, intellectual, environmental, and spiritual.

Our team at Bright Harbor Healthcare compiled a list of tips and suggestions for supporting your whole-self wellness using the SPECIES acronym.

Spiritual

• Spend time alone and meditate regularly
• Be fully present in everything you do, listen with your heart, and live by your principles
• Try to allow yourself and those around you the freedom to be who they are
• Always look for opportunities to grow when challenges arise 
• Volunteer

Physical

• Exercise daily and eat healthily
• Get enough sleep
• Drink alcohol in moderation if at all and quit smoking
• Learn to recognize early signs of illness and prevent diseases

Emotional

• Tune in to your thoughts and feelings
• Cultivate an optimistic attitude
• Seek and provide support
• Discover your specific stress relievers
• Accept and forgive yourself and others

Career

• Create a vision for your future
• Be open to change and learning new skills

Intellectual

• Take a course or workshop
• Learn or perfect a foreign language
• Read and write
• Attend museums, exhibits, and the theatre

Environmental

• Go out in nature and take in the season
• Converse water and resources
• Reduce, reuse, and recycle

Social

• Cultivate healthy relationships
• Contact an old friend and discover new friendships
• Get involved, share your talents and skills
• Communicate your thoughts, feelings and ideas

Are You Ready to Seek Integrated Care in Your Community?

Bright Harbor Healthcare is here to help address all of the health and wellness issues you may be experiencing. Whether you need more wellness tips or looking for outpatient services, let us provide the bright harbor you need to start building your better tomorrow.

Bright Harbor Healthcare has been evolving to best provide integrated care in the community since 1959. Contact our experienced staff today to get started.

Written by Kate Miller, LCSW

Grant Writer, Marketing Department