Magellan Research Expert to Deliver Keynote Address at International Conference on Youth Behavioral Health

Magellan Health Services, Inc., (NASDAQ:MGLN) announced today that Barbara Dunn, MSW, LCSW, manager of program innovation and outcomes at Magellan, will deliver a keynote address at the seventh annual Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Conference, being held May 15-17 in Baltimore. Dunn was invited to speak by John Lyons, Ph.D., creator of the nationally recognized CANS outcomes assessment tool for children and adolescents.

The conference brings together children’s services system professionals from across the country and internationally who use the CANS tool to assess the needs of youth with behavioral health challenges. The secure, online CANS assessment is completed by a certified CANS assessor and is now used in more than 38 states. It helps providers and children’s systems make informed decisions about individual and family treatment, and includes tools to assist with creating treatment plans, assessing recovery progress and identifying best practices to share among providers.

"The CANS assessment is proven to help providers more quickly match children and adolescents who have behavioral health challenges with the right treatment services in order to move toward a sustained recovery,” said Dunn. "Magellan has had great success implementing this tool with our public sector customers, and recognizes the valuable contribution of providers in using the CANS in support of clinical excellence and innovation for behavioral health recipients.”

Magellan’s Work with CANS

Magellan has extensive experience with the CANS tool, and Dunn has collaborated with Dr. Lyons on several initiatives utilizing CANS assessments. Magellan recently launched the assessment in Nebraska, where it is being used statewide primarily by residential treatment providers, to improve the effectiveness of care received by children and adolescents. Prior to the rollout in Nebraska, Magellan partnered with Dr. Lyons to train and certify more than 200 mental health workers—a requirement for all clinicians who administer the CANS assessment.

Magellan also uses the CANS tool in Pennsylvania. At last year’s CANS conference, Dunn presented the findings from a five-year study that Magellan conducted in Pennsylvania using the CANS tool. That study indicated that coordinated assessment and delivery of community-based interventions resulted in health improvements by the majority of participating youth; the CANS is an effective tool for improving providers’ decision-making on prescribed services; and there is cost-savings potential through the efficient and effective use of resources.

"The CANS assessment is a positive, strengths-based approach to communicating outcomes and sharing successes that can help providers identify and deliver the most effective care,” Dr. Lyons said. "I applaud Magellan for taking a leadership role in adopting this tool and for its innovative efforts throughout the country to improve the treatment of youth with behavioral health challenges.”

Barbara Dunn is one of five keynote speakers at the conference. Details and registration information can be found at http://www.praedfoundation.org.

Barbara Dunn, manager of program innovation and outcomes for Magellan Health Services, is available for interviews prior to, during and immediately after the conference. Please contact Chris Barnhart at CPBarnhart@magellanhealth.com or 410-953-2421 for additional details or to arrange an interview.

About Magellan: Headquartered in Avon, Conn., Magellan Health Services, Inc., is a leading specialty health care management organization with expertise in managing behavioral health, radiology and specialty pharmaceuticals, as well as public sector pharmacy benefits programs. Magellan delivers innovative solutions to improve quality outcomes and optimize the cost of care for those we serve. Magellan's customers include health plans, employers and government agencies, serving approximately 31.5 million members in our behavioral health business, 18.5 million members in our radiology benefits management segment, and 4.9 million members in our medical pharmacy management product. In addition, the specialty pharmaceutical segment serves 41 health plans and several pharmaceutical manufacturers and state Medicaid programs. The company's Medicaid Administration segment serves 25 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit www.MagellanHealth.com.