Getting care for serious mental illness (SMI) has long been a fragmented experience in the U.S. Too often, the emergency room becomes the default entry point, leaving patients with limited coordinated support. However, innovative providers like Amae are changing this by offering a serious mental illness care model that is holistic, community-based, and patient-centered.
Amae’s founders, Sonia Garcia and Stas Sokolin, both with personal experience navigating the confusing healthcare system for family members with SMI, developed a new serious mental illness care model designed to unify behavioral health care, primary care, and community support under one roof.
What is Amae’s Serious Mental Illness Care Model?
This serious mental illness care model is inspired by programs like the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Mental Health Intensive Case Management and includes psychiatrists, primary care physicians, social workers, peer support specialists, and health coaches working together to treat the whole person—not just symptoms.
In the traditional care system, many people with SMI receive inadequate treatment, with some studies showing that individuals with SMI live 10 to 20 years less than those without. Amae’s mental illness care model aims to change this by embedding primary care into mental health treatment and using innovations such as long-acting injectable medications to improve adherence and reduce side effects.
Beyond Clinical Outcomes: Social Integration and Purpose
Beyond clinical outcomes, Amae emphasizes social reintegration and purpose, helping patients reconnect with their communities and find meaningful activities or jobs. This holistic approach is a defining feature of their serious mental illness care model.
Integrated Treatment for Co-Occurring Disorders
Importantly, Amae also integrates substance use disorder treatment concurrently, recognizing that these issues often co-occur and require coordinated care. Their mental illness care model treats both conditions together, alongside physical health needs.
Alignment with National Trends in SMI Care
Amae’s model aligns with a broader national movement toward community-based SMI care, supported by government investments in Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and mobile crisis services. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is also encouraging holistic care approaches through advanced payments and support for social determinants of health.
The Future of Serious Mental Illness Care
In conclusion, Amae’s mental illness care model offers a new standard for treating SMI—one that treats people with dignity, integrates all aspects of their health, and connects them meaningfully to their communities. This model holds promise to improve lives and reshape care nationwide.
