Janssen Pharmaceuticals Awards Grant for Cardiometabolic Psychiatry Clinic

Riverbend Community Mental Health Center has received $3,500 from Janssen Pharmaceuticals for our Cardiometabolic Psychiatry Project.

Riverbend Community Mental Health Center is leading the effort to address the unmet cardiovascular risk of clients who are being treated for severe and persistent mental illness like Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder.  The Clinic provides a Lifestyle Adherence Group and Consulting Program.

The Weight Loss Program addresses behavioral challenges specific to weight loss by weekly individual cognitive-behavior therapy sessions that lasts 3-6 months depending on patient needs.  Then, every Friday afternoon for one hour, a Psychiatrist and Dietician co-lead a group of up to 6 clients in the Lifestyle Adherence Group which integrates cognitive therapy with nutrition education.  The group incorporates psycho-education using the Beck Cognitive Therapy Model.  The Dietician spends time giving a demonstration on healthy food which participants are able to eat.  The third component of the Cardiometabolic Psychiatry Clinic is the Consulting Program which focuses on medication changes.  The psychiatrist and case managers work with primary care physicians to help patients in transitioning to lower cardiometabolic risk antipsychotic medications, or ensuring lipid and blood pressure abnormalities are aggressively treated in collaboration with primary care physicians.  The three components of this program have successfully helped patients and physicians manage whole body health. 

Riverbend is the Capital region’s sole community mental health center and largest provider of specialized mental health and psychiatric services in central New Hampshire. Over 9,000 children, families and adults are served annually.