A significant number of persons receiving psychiatric services experience chronic distress. The term chronic distress refers to behavior patterns that maintain long-term emotional suffering. They include maladaptive coping behaviors that can result in affective instability, impulsiveness, chaotic interpersonal relationships, self-injury, or a combination of these.

As a representative from Cigna Behavioral Health (a private commercial insurance company) conveyed to our director, less than 10 percent of Cigna’s entire client roster is comprised of persons with affective instability, yet almost eighty percent of its resources are used to cover services provided to this group. These individuals frequently find themselves unable to access needed services because either they have Medicaid/Medicare, insufficient third-party insurance, or have exhausted the lifetime benefits of their third-party insurance. These individuals tend to compensate for loss of coverage by frequently using crisis-oriented services (i.e., emergency rooms, crisis centers, local police). Furthermore, they have a high recidivist rate, since they do not respond to most traditional forms of treatment.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy ( DBT) has been shown to be effective in treating persons experiencing chronic distress. While DBT is an effective treatment, it requires that therapists receive specialized training, and fully-functioning DBT programs can be difficult to find. Furthermore, participation in DBT programs can be costly because of the intensive nature of the therapy.

All of our therapists have received training in DBT, and we are committed to working with potential clients to identify options for affordably funding treatment.