BCCS participates in Common Ground to benefit clients

Brandywine Counseling & Community Services hosted an open house March 19 at its Lancaster Avenue site to launch the Common Ground web-based software through the support of the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. The Common Ground software is a web-based application that helps people prepare to meet with psychiatrists and arrive at the best decisions for treatment and recovery.

Common Ground is primarily used to help co-occurring clients communicate better with their prescribing doctor and come to a shared decision with them about their treatment plans. This new software will also streamline BCCS's medical checks and psychiatric evaluations, while simultaneously gathering more information for the doctor and connecting clients with useful resources.

BCCS's Wilmington site at 2713 Lancaster Ave., is the first co-occurring site to use this software. It is the organization's goal to successfully implement Common Ground at the Lancaster site and then begin using it at its other locations throughout the state of Delaware.

Common Ground was created by Pat Deegan, a woman diagnosed with schizophrenia, who refused to accept that she was just going to be sick for the rest of her life. She discovered that she was more successful in her treatment when she was prepared to meet with her doctor, which is one of the fundamentals of Common Ground.

Brandywine Counseling & Community Services Inc. is a nonprofit organization that contributes to creating stronger communities by creatively providing education, advocacy, treatment and prevention services. With integrity, BCCS promotes hope and empowerment to persons and families touched by mental health issues, substance use, HIV and their related challenges. BCCS is Delaware's most recognized provider of behavioral services, with nine locations statewide. For more information, visit www.brandywinecounseling.org.