The Yale Department of Psychiatry is home to Yale Behavioral Health (YBH) Consulting Services. YBH was created over 25 years ago by faculty members Michael Hoge, PhD, and Scott Migdole, MSW, LCSW, to provide evidenced-based clinical treatment, correctional mental health care, therapeutic educational services for adolescents, and regional crisis services for adolescents and adults.

Its programs are known for their clinical excellence, effective and efficient management, high staff satisfaction and retention rates, and financial support of the department’s academic mission.

YBH Consulting Services assists organizations that provide mental health and substance use treatment in addressing complex challenges, whether those involve improving and growing services or managing organizational crises. Examples of the types of assistance available include consultation on the provision of high-quality care; development of clinical programs across all levels of care; helping programs become co-occurring capable or enhanced; workforce development; support in obtaining accreditation and maintaining compliance with accrediting standards and government regulations; and the assessment and monitoring of organizations that are struggling with regulatory, compliance and/or quality of care concerns.

For each engagement, YBH Consulting Services assembles a unique team to address the needs of the organization being supported. Each team is led by a Yale faculty member and can be staffed by full or part-time Yale faculty, voluntary faculty, and contracted individuals who are national experts in their respective fields.

Barbara Bugella, MS, MBA, former chief operating officer of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) and lecturer in the Yale Department of Psychiatry, is one of the senior consultants.

Examples of recent work include the following:

• At the request of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, worked with various private, non-profit organizations to help them enhance their quality of care, meet regulatory standards, and right size their budgets.
• At the request of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, served as the monitor for two private psychiatric hospitals that were under state consent order for failure to meet regulatory standards. With consultation and support from YBH, both hospitals improved care and exited the consent order successfully.
• Assisted prescribers in a large state-operated addiction treatment system in improving pharmacological treatment for inpatients with primary addiction and serious aggression. This was accomplished by providing a Yale board-certified addiction psychiatrist who provided education to the prescribers through monthly case reviews and discussion of prescribing patterns.
• Provided consultation to a large behavioral health agency focused on the redesign of their organizational structure to enhance their quality of care, efficiency, communication, accountability, and improved alignment with clinical and financial goals.
• Assisted a large residential program in shifting from a primary addiction model to a co-occurring model. The YBH team assisted in the establishment of a separate unit for individuals with serious and persistent mental health and substance use needs.
• Provided consultation to the CEO of large psychiatric hospital in developing and implementing an organizational change plan over 2-year period of time.

To learn more, visit the Consulting Services website. To make a referral to or seek assistance from the YBH Consulting Services, send an email to ybhcs@yale.edu or contact Scott Migdole, YBH chief operating officer 203-927-4767.

Yale-affiliated professionals, including alumni, who have a consultation opportunity but need the support of a clinical and administrative team to effectively provide that consultation, are encouraged to reach out as well using the contact information above.