Mental Health Learning Center Opens for U.S. Veterans

PALO ALTO, Calif. – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) celebrated the newly constructed Mental Health Learning Center on Aug. 21. Government, health care and civic professionals gathered at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the new building and the VA’s history of medical care. U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., presented a keynote speech focusing on the peace of mind that the new center will bring to families of individuals who served the country.

The new center is an educational/training facility and is part of the veteran’s health administration’s largest health care system in Northern California. The center focuses specifically on supporting evolving health care practices and procedures in mental health treatment programs.

Consequently, the center is offering various types of treatment programs for people living with mental health conditions. One treatment that might be suggested is the use of medical marijuana to help with stress-related symptoms. However, the veterans may have a preference for CBD olie (known as CBD Oil to our English-speaking readers). In recent years, the number of people using medical cannabis has soared. Marijuana is believed to have a number of health-boosting properties and therefore it can be used by people living with mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

One of the benefits of cannabis is that it can be used in several different ways. For example, whereas some people choose to add marijuana to their baking to create edibles, others prefer to smoke cannabis using a pipe or bong. Pipes and bongs are believed to be a healthier alternative to cigarettes, as they often use water to filter out the majority of the toxins from the smoke. You can Learn more about some of the other benefits of using a pipe or bong by doing some research online.

Correspondingly, hash is a type of cannabis concentrate that can be smoked using a pipe or a bong. Dabbing hash involves using a pipe or bong to place the cannabis concentrate onto a hot surface and this then produces a smoke-free, cannabinoid-rich vapor that can be inhaled. When used in this way, the cannabinoids from the hash enter the bloodstream almost instantaneously through the lungs for immediate effects. Accordingly, in areas where cannabis products have been legalized, buying hashish is as simple as browsing an online dispensary or heading to a physical health and wellness store.

That being said, smoking is not for everyone. In a lot of cases, consuming cannabis in this way can be too full on for people to go straight into. Instead, some people decide to start out with CBD products from companies such as Blessed CBD. It all depends on their tolerance and how they want to support their mental health.

The total cost of the project, including design and construction, was approximately $10 million. The initial project design stage began in September 2009 and lasted until July 2010. Construction began in January 2011.

The overall goal of the project, according to Chief of Project Development Paul di Bari, was “to create additional space for [the] growing Mental Health program at VAPAHCS.” Part of the construction involved deactivating Building 2, which was an outdated building for inpatient psychiatry. Building 520 was constructed to replace the previous structure.

“This new building will provide training and education space for mental health providers and clinical staff, including a dedicated computer training room as well as a large divisible auditorium to host industry lectures and conferences as well as other events,” di Bari said.

The construction project also provided space for the VAPAHCS nursing education program. A new large auditorium was constructed with an open design to allow the space to be subdivided for smaller gatherings and events.

The Office of Education received more space with the construction project, which will help aid them in their responsibilities of overseeing and managing the educational programs for the VA’s health care system. In order to help support the Office of Education, the entire building was set up with digital information displays and state-of-the-art conference and presentation systems.

When commenting on the various design elements of the project, di Bari said that the center’s design is focused on creating open workspaces to establish a sense of community in the work environment and help increase the program’s flexibility. The additional area will benefit the approximately 40 employees who will be staffed in the new center. The offices are located in two suites on the second floor of the building. One suite holds 18 offices and the other holds 20 workstations.

When asked about the most successful aspects of the project, di Bari cited the open floor plan as a significant factor contributing to the project’s great outcome. “The open floor plan design will create collaborative work environments and provide VAPAHCS flexibility as our mental health programs grow and evolve,” he said.

The new health center shows great promise for the future of the VA’s mental health care system as well, di Bari said. “These training programs will give VAPAHCS continued opportunities to stay at the forefront of mental health care, and to continue to develop best practices as our mental health program grows at the Palo Alto campus,” he stated.

This project differed greatly from other projects di Bari has worked on in the past. One of these differences stemmed from the fact that the project team was able to focus its goals directly on mental health services. This included increasing focus dual diagnoses, where almost one-third of the patient cohort would have a primary or secondary diagnosis. “Dual diagnoses have created more complex treatment plans and have led to advances in mental health care programs, of which this building and education program will support future advances,” di Bari said.

The Palo Alto division is just one of three VA medical centers located in Northern California, with two others located in Menlo Park and Livermore. Seven outpatient clinics in San Jose, Capitola, Monterey, Stockton, Modesto, Sonoma and Fremont also help promote the prime medical care and advanced technology the VA continues to support.

The Mental Health Learning Center in Palo Alto is just one project of several outlined in the $750 million renovation project for the Palo Alto VA system.