Tobacco Dependence and Behavioral Health
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Research has shown that tobacco dependence disproportionally impacts individuals living with behavioral health conditions.
Those with mental illness:
- Smoke at higher rates than those without a behavioral health condition
- Consume approximately 40% of all cigarettes smoked by adults in the U.S. – and smoke more frequently
- Die almost fifteen years earlier, often from smoking-related illness
- WANT TO and CAN quit smoking!
![adult smoke](https://healthprograms.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/adult-smoke.png)
How Can We Help?
Health Systems for Tobacco Free NY offers technical assistance and cessation treatment resources aimed at reducing tobacco dependence among individuals with mental illness. We work side-by-side with behavioral health providers to identify strengths, barriers and opportunities to address client tobacco-dependence.
Through partnership with providers, we can:
- Review, revise and/or create evidence-based clinical workflows that encourage provider intervention
- Facilitate the establishment of proactive interventions
- Build staff capacity by providing training on best-practices for addressing tobacco-dependence
- Provide education, resources, and feedback to promote provider intervention
- Navigate insurance coverage options and promote availability of medications and utilization of services including counseling and treatment
- Strategize delivery of treatment to maximize reimbursement and linking payment to quality metrics
- Establish dedicated tobacco dependence treatment staff and assess the delivery of this treatment in staff performance evaluation
- Encourage collaboration, whenever possible, and support your organization to create a smoke-free environment to promote the health and well-being of the community (partner: Advancing Tobacco-Free Communities grant)
We invite you to explore the resources available here and/or contact us to learn more how together we can create a tobacco free New York.