HealthKeepers, Inc. | Anthem HealthKeepers Plus Medicaid productsJune 1, 2021
Trauma: What you need to know
Please note, this communication applies to Anthem HealthKeepers Plus, Medallion and Anthem HealthKeepers Plus, Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus (Anthem CCC Plus) offered by HealthKeepers, Inc.
What is trauma?
Trauma is considered any event that an individual witnesses or experiences that threatens their life or someone close to them, whether real or perceived. Traumatic events could include witnessing or experiencing one or more of the following:
- Abuse
- Life-threatening illness
- Abandonment
- Automobile accidents
- Neglect
- Bullying
- Violence
- Community violence
- Death or loss of a loved one
- Natural disasters
- Acts or threats of terrorism
Some of the negative effects of trauma include:
- Difficulty forming healthy, stable relationships
- Increased participation in risky behaviors
- Smoking
- Substance abuse
- Poor eating and exercise habits
- Promiscuity
- Problems thinking clearly
- Trouble focusing and problem solving
- Increased chance of chronic illness such as heart disease, cancer, and early death
- Difficulty regulating emotions
How can providers help?
There are several ways providers can help our members, including:
- Promoting safety for all family members and preventing exposure to further traumas
- Optimizing the strengths of the family’s cultural or ethnic background, religious or spiritual affiliation, and beliefs to support recovery
- Linking families to essential community resources
- Educating families on the signs of post-traumatic stress and how it can affect the family
- Including family-informed trauma assessments in your practice
- Helping family members talk together about their traumatic experiences and how it affected them
The following is a list of resources for providers to assist our members with trauma:
- Overview of trauma: ACEs Primer
- Trauma fact sheet: Trauma and Families: Fact Sheet for Providers
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) assessment: ACEs assessment
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): https://www.samhsa.gov
Encourage your patients to reach out to us. Care coordination is available on request for referrals to trauma-informed providers.
If you have any questions about this communication, call Provider Services at 800‑901‑0020 or Anthem CCC Plus Provider Services at 855‑323‑4687.
AVA-NU-0373-21
PUBLICATIONS: June 2021 Anthem Provider News - Virginia
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