Interface Consultation Services, PLLC

We are Hiring!!!  ICS is currently looking for someone to join our team with Passages House as a relief house manager a part-time contractors work (Approximately 8 -12 hours a week). Passages House  - Provides housing for individual returning to the community from correctional facilities who would otherwise be homeless.  Passages House focuses on support services to assist individuals who have special needs to be successful in the community.  Project for Offenders with Special Needs  - ICS is contracted as the Regional Care Coordinators for Western Michigan providing services to 18 counties. ICS has five contractors to assist with this initiative by Michigan Department of Corrections. This specialty program is designed for mentally ill, developmentally disabled, medically fragile and youthful offenders who are returning to the community from Michigan prisons. As Care coordinators we provide linking and coordinating for housing, medical, psychiatric, specialized ...

Fresh Air Interview of Elizabeth Ford, MD - Sometimes Amazing Things Happen Terry Gross interviews a psychiatrist about her experiences with treating incarcerated individual at  New York City's Rikers Island jail who were hospitalized at Bellevue Hospital.  

ReEntry Project for Offenders with Special Needs  - ICS is contracted as the Regional Care Coordinators for Western Michigan providing services to 18 counties. ICS has five contractors to assist with this initiative by Michigan Department of Corrections. This specialty program is designed for mentally ill, developmentally disabled, medically fragile and youthful offenders who are returning to the community from Michigan prisons. As Care coordinators we provide linking and coordinating for housing, medical, psychiatric, specialized placements, etc as well as consultation on some very difficult cases for the program. Passages Behavioral Health Services  - Provides Mobile, Intensive, Short-term, Targeted Case Management, Psychotherapy and Psychological Testing Services located in Western Michigan. Our commitment is to providing outreach in-home services with flexibility to meet individuals with disabilities, barriers to transportation and public resources. Our staff include Mic...

Prison FireFighters and their story

We are excited to annouce some changes in our services within the past year: ReEntry Project for Offenders with Special Needs - ICS is contracted as the Regional Care Coordinators for Western Michigan providing services to 18 counties. ICS has five contractors to assist with this initiative by Michigan Department of Corrections. This speciality program is designed for mentally ill, developmentally disabled, medically fragile and youthful offenders who are returning to the community from Michigan prisons. As Care coordinators we provide linking and coordinating for housing, medical, psychiatric, specialized placements, etc as well as consultation on some very difficult cases for the program. Passages Behavioral Health Services - Provides Mobile, Intensive, Short-term, Targeted Case Management, Psychotherapy and Psychological Testing Services located in Western Michigan. Our commitment is to providing outreach in-home services with flexibility to meet individuals with disabilities,...

Use of energy drinks and alcohol has become increasingly popular among youth.  Medscape  reports recent research linking high users of energy drinks with increased alcohol related disorders such as dependence.  It is reported to be a dangerous combination that keeps an individual more alert while their judgment and  impulsivity has become impaired due to alcohol consumption.  We often see clinicians neglect to assess for caffeine usage with substance abuse assessments.  It clearly can assist in understanding a person's usage and risks.

A study conducted by the University of Michigan with over 3,000 teens using motivational interviewing to counsel adolescents to stay away from potentially violence and alcohol use.  A decrease of involvement in these situations by 50 percent was evidenced in the study.   See more at Psychiatric Times    This study indicates the importance of what we already know that talking with our children about risky and violent situations and giving them tools to seek other options continues to be an strong prevention tool. 

Initial suicidal behaviors and methods such as hanging, drowning, shooting by firearm, jumping or gassing are more likely to complete suicide with subsequent attempt as published in the British Medical Journal in July online in Medscape News.

A new study indicates an increased risk of spinal bifida and 5 other congential malfunctions when used in the the first trimester of life compared to no use of antiepiletic medications.  Valproic Acid is often used as a form of medication treatment for mood and bipolar disorders.   

A brief overview of Interface Consultation Services current endeavors: I. Telemental Health Triage - We continue our day-to-day service commitment to Riverwood Center to provide professional triage services so their consumers are assured efficient and timely access to mental health services, appropriate level of care assignments and expert telephone crisis triage. II. ReEntry Project for Offenders with Special Needs - ICS is contracted as the Regional Care Coordinators for Western Michigan providing services to 18 counties. ICS has hired 5 contractors to assist with this initiative. This speciality program is designed for mentally ill, developmentally disabled, medically fragile and youthful offenders who are returning to the community. As Care coordinators we provide linking and coordinating for housing, medical, psychiatric, specialized placements, etc as well as consultation on some very difficult cases for the program. III. Passages Behavioral Health Services - Provides M...

A study completed by Laurie Barclay MD and published in Medscape indicated that routine screening at primary care offices for depression and suicide risk can increase early detention of suicide. Although they warn against asking questions regarding suicide if there is no availability to a mental health professional. This statement warning against asking about suicide if there is no clear referral that can be made seems to be in contradiction of this entire study. So primary care physicians "shouldn't" know if you are suicidal if they cannot refer you out? It is understandable that a physician may not feel they have the tools or training to assess clear risk of suicide in an adolescent. Why would they not at least be encouraged to try and seek additional training, especially if there are no other options? It could mean life or death....

The fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders will be updated and published in May 2013. There are several proposed changes: Proposed to delete Aspergers Disorder and include it in Autism Spectrum Disorders More stringent criteria for diagnosis of Bipolar in children and proposed new diagnosis of Temper Dysregulation Disorder. Proposed additions to Somatoform Disorders: "Abridged Somatization Disorder" 4 unexplained somatic conditions in men and 6 in women " Multisomatoform Disorder" at least 3 unexplained somatic concerns from the PRIME-MD for at least 2 year of active symptoms. Changes in the way Personality Disorders are assessed and diagnosed. proposal to return Depressive Personality Disorder and Negativistic (Passive-Aggressive) Personality Disorder. There is also some discussion about changing the name of Borderline Personality Disorder and changing it from Axis II to Axis I disorder. Listen to NPR regarding Bipolar Cha...

The Austrian study showed a 22.6% difference in the risk of progression of psychosis with high-risk indviduals treated with a 12 week fish oil supplement compared to similar individuals taking placebo. 81 Participants were placed into study groups using a random double-blind placebo controlled trial. The study was published in Feb 2010 Achives of General Psychiatry . This study is promising as we look to prevent and not just control and manage the disease of Schizophrenia that disable many even with treatment.

Interface Consultation Services continues to provide re-entry services for mentally-ill individuals releasing from prison. The linked article provides greater insight into the epidemiology of criminals with mental illness. Re-entry services provide for a seamless, intensive, clinically-sound alternative to long-term incarcerations. http://http//www.ps.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/49/4/483

Medscape Article... A study presented at the American Academy for Addiction Psychiatry 20 th Annual Meeting conducted at the University of California , Los Angeles found that average levels of cravings and psychopathology had decreased after 2 weeks for methamphetamine dependent individuals who were abstaining from use. Conversely, up to 30% continued to have significant depressive, mood and psychotic symptoms 5 weeks post use. These finding point to the difficulties of breaking the cycle of addiction to Methamphetamines . It is likely that even if someone has been abstaining for 5 weeks that they may show significant psychopathology that maybe more related to Amphetamine Dependence than to a co-morbid Mood or Psychotic Disorder. This information is useful as clinicians assess patients to understand the etiologies of symptoms and more accurately diagnose and treat individuals. See the article link above for more details....

Dec 6 2009 Medscape Cognitive Impairments occur in all psychotic disorders but are found most severely and pervasively in Schizophrenia and less so with those diagnosed with Bipolar, Manic according to a study published December 1, 2009 in the American Journal of Psychiatry . For those of us that work with these populations, we have probably witnessed this for an experiential point of view. It's promising to see the clinical data and science support our personal experiences. Please click on the link above to read the entire article and finding.

Check out this article with the Psychiatric Times. Very interesting Read..... Click on the Link at the end for more.... The Case of Factitious Disorder Versus Malingering Courtney B. Worley, MPH, Marc D. Feldman, MD, and James C. Hamilton, PhD Ms Worley is a graduate student in psychology, Dr Feldman is clinical professor of psychiatry, and Dr Hamilton is associate professor of psychology at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The authors report no conflicts of interest concerning the subject matter of this article. Patients who exaggerate, feign, or induce physical illness are a great challenge to their physicians. Trained to trust their patients’ self-reports, even competent and conscientious physicians can fall victim to these deceptions. In doing so, the treating physician may unwittingly provide support for specious claims of illness or injury by conferring official diagnoses, or by delivering treatments that transform the patient from a pretender into a person with a genuine...

Recent reports about abuse of juvenile inmates have renewed calls for a national overhaul of a juvenile justice system that includes nearly 100,000 children. Juvenile detention center in Missouri replaces lockdowns with hugs. In Missouri, a different method for juvenile detention has seen surprisingly successful results, trading in the orange uniforms and cell blocks for therapists and dorm rooms . see more ABC News: Looks like Missouri is really trying to make a difference with his children who are struggling with criminal behavior, substance abuse and emotional problems. Let us know what your state is doing?

" Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." -Frank Outlaw

NIMH Science UpdateJune 09, 2009 Re-shaping Negative Thoughts Shields At-Risk Teens from Depression Cognitive Prevention Program Trumps Usual Care in “Real World” Trial At-risk teens exposed to a program that teaches them to counteract their unrealistic and overly negative thoughts experienced significantly less depression than their peers who received usual care, NIMH-funded researchers have found. However, the cognitive behavioral prevention program failed to similarly help adolescents prone to the mood disorder if their parents were currently depressed. NIMH grantee Judy Garber, Ph.D., of Vanderbilt University, and colleagues, report on the findings of their multi-site clinical trial in the June 3, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Background Only a fourth of depressed youth receive any treatment and at least 20 percent develop a chronic, difficult-to-treat form of the illness. Having a history of the illness substantially increases risk for depression...