The Midwest Center for Stress & Anxiety Inc, an Ohio based behavioral health company, announced that The American Academy of Pain Management (AAPM) has approved the ATTACKING ANXIETY & DEPRESSION multimedia self-care program for continuing education credit.  As an AAPM sponsored and accredited continuing educational activity, CME/CEU credit can be earned through home study, distance learning and for AAPM re-credentialing credit.

“We are honored and proud that the AAPM recognizes our contribution to the public in terms of outreach, education and support for anxiety, depression and other stress related disorders.  Accreditation through the AAPM will expand our outreach and education efforts to the professional medical community.  Statistics clearly suggest that managed care identifies and successfully treats just a fraction of people suffering today,” said David Bassett, President of The Midwest Center.

Bassett says that anxiety and depression go largely unrecognized and under-treated, with as many as 95% of sufferers treated solely in the primary care setting where pharmacological interventions are the principal method of treatment.  By offering continuing education credits for home study use of ATTACKING ANXIETY & DEPRESSION, Bassett believes that provider’s will more readily educate himself or herself to recognize and promote early intervention.

“For the last 17 years we have been helping the sufferer get beyond the stigma and fear that prevents so many people from seeking help.  If we can bring the same outreach and awareness to the professional community, we can further our mission to promote early identification and successful treatment for these disorders,” said Bassett.

In addition to accreditation, The Midwest Center also announced that the AAPM will assist in the development of its Interactive Assisted Self Help (IASHä) model of care.  The Center’s IASHä system is an Internet based outcomes and compliance module particularly attractive to managed behavioral health organizations.  The IASHä system is designed to increase client participation and retention in recovery programs and capture data to document effectual outcomes.

Established in 1992, The AAPM is the largest multi-disciplinary pain society and the largest physician based pain society in the US.   The Academy is a nonprofit multi-disciplinary society providing credentialing, education and setting standards for practitioners specializing in pain management.  Credentialed clinicians must abide by the Code of Professional Conduct and a Patient Bill of Rights established by the Academy.