Welcome to Exemplar, the Benchmark company newsletter. Enjoy, and please contact our staff with any questions, Courtney Heiser, Chief Culture Officer or Sarah Chestnut, Director of Development Strategies.
Welcome to Exemplar!
By Doug Beebe, Benchmark CEO
Benchmark Human Services (Benchmark) was formed in 1960 in Fort Wayne, IN. Since its inception, Benchmark has been focused on community inclusion by seeing the potential in all people and assisting them in reaching for their dreams. We began as a traditional intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) provider, offering vocational training and residential options. In our 60+ years of service, we have continually evolved to serve individuals with more and more complex needs and to be a leader championing the transition of services from institutions to the community.
Today, Benchmark offers a wide variety of custom solutions to address complex needs and increase access to care in innovative ways. With a relentless focus on community inclusion, we serve individuals across their lifespan, offering mobile crisis solutions, employment and residential services for people with complex needs, consulting and training for other providers to enhance their capacity to serve, community-based autism services, family preservation services, intensive case management, and early intervention for infants and toddlers.
As these services and others have developed, we have grown to become one of the most respected organizations in the country in the areas of IDD and behavioral health, serving over 15 states with more than 3,000 employees touching 40,000 lives a year. Through Exemplar, we are excited to highlight our ongoing efforts to evolve and innovate and the incredible people who bring them to life.
Crisis Response Systems Provide Immediate and Effective Support
According to data from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in 2020, the U.S. had one death by suicide every 11 minutes. Since the implementation of the national 988 suicide and crisis lifeline in 2022, the helpline has received over 2 million calls, texts, and chat messages. These statistics point to the critical need for the continued growth of community-based behavioral health crisis and stabilization services. Data from Benchmark’s Georgia Mobile Crisis System (pictured below) shows the high volume of crisis interventions in just 55 of the State’s 159 counties.
Since 2007, Benchmark has successfully provided mobile crisis programs in three states. Benchmark’s expertise in startup, scalability, and service delivery resulted in us concurrently serving a combined catchment of over 220 counties, including rural and urban centers. In 2022, Benchmark partnered with Community Bridges, Inc., to establish mobile crisis services throughout Oklahoma. This month, Benchmark launched mobile crisis services in Indiana as part of a pilot program with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA).
As 988 and the continuum of crisis services continues to be developed throughout the country, Benchmark welcomes new opportunities to expand access to care for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. To learn more about how Benchmark can customize a solution to meet the needs of your community, contact Brian Gill, Vice President of Behavioral Health and Crisis Services.
Benchmark Partners with StationMD to Serve Individuals with Complex Needs
Benchmark is pleased to announce a new partnership with StationMD to establish an integrated care approach to support individuals with co-occurring intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and complex medical and behavioral health needs. This model aims to keep high-risk/high-cost populations out of emergency departments, hospitals, institutions, and crisis situations while decreasing costs, improving physical and behavioral health outcomes, and addressing social determinants of health. Read More
Benchmark Featured on Netsmart’s CareThreads Podcast
Leaders from Benchmark recently sat down with Netsmart CEO, Michael Valentine, to discuss Benchmark’s approach to supporting individuals with co-occurring conditions and complex medical and behavioral healthcare needs. Check out the discussion on Netsmart’s CareThreads podcast.
Listen Now
Upcoming Events
March 9-11, 2023
Association of Professional Behavior Analysts 2023 Convention, Seattle, WA
Presenter: Using ABA and Person-Centered Practices while working with Adults with Complex Behavioral Needs
March 14, 2023
Community Health Worker & Certified Recovery Specialist Conference, Indianapolis, IN
Presenter: Best Practices in Serving Rural Communities under a Crisis Services Umbrella