Altarum’s Link Study Be Featured at SOPHE 2023

On March 24th at 8:00 am EDT Altarum’s Population Health team will present the lessons learned from the Link Study at the Society for Public Health Education 2023 Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Jessica McDuff, program director, behavioral health, and Lauren Mitchell, communications analyst, will describe the challenges found in behavioral health and family planning settings that limit the ability to effectively “link” patients from one form of care to another. The Link Study is funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Population Affairs.

The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is a more than 70-year-old independent professional association for health education professionals and students. Reflecting the theme of “The New Age of Civil Rights, Advocacy & Equity,” this year’s conference is dedicated to magnifying the voices from the communities that have historically been subject to inequity in health, safety, and the overall ability to thrive.

The Altarum team’s presentation, “Crucial Linkages: Cross-Training Family Planning and Behavioral Health Providers for Integrated Care and Improved Outcomes through the Link Study,” will center on the need for linkage to care in the family planning and substance use patient populations, and the challenges that come from implementing screening and referrals in an already overburdened system. The team will reveal pain points and opportunities from the implementation of this technical assistance, as well as best practices for similar projects. The team will also share materials developed for this project, which will be available for all attendees.

The Link Study is a natural offshoot of Altarum’s work in Behavioral Health and Maternal and Reproductive Health and advances Altarum’s commitment to health equity. If you are interested in learning more about the Link Study or would like to receive copies of the materials used for this project, please contact Link Study Project Manager Jessica McDuff or Lauren Mitchell.