CAHS Executive Director Jan Laughinghouse, PhD, LCSW-BACS, LAC, CCS, and CAHS Director of Prevention and Wellness Services Bridget Lewis, MS-LPP, attended the Louisiana Legislative Healthcare Academy, held Oct. 21 at the Lod Cook Alumni Center at LSU.
Sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Health and LSU, the daylong event was designed to give state legislators a comprehensive understanding of the vital role LDH plays in shaping the health and well-being of Louisiana’s people, communities, and economy.
The program included informative breakout sessions about Medicaid, sanitarian services, healthcare licensing, waiver programs, behavioral health, water systems, emergency preparedness, and the recent “One Door” legislation.
The event also included an interactive health fair hosted by the state’s Local Governing Entities (LGEs), 10 organizations responsible for delivering health and human services at the local level.
CAHS is one of those LGEs, providing mental health, addiction recovery, and developmental disabilities services to Region 2, which covers the parishes of Ascension, East and West Baton Rouge, East and West Feliciana, Iberville, and Pointe Coupee.
Lewis provided information about CAHS’ various services and the national 988 Suicide Helpline. She also talked about the symptoms of anxiety and depression with regards to emotional health.