Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has been shown to be effective for treating patients suffering from opioid use disorders (OUD), but there is a shortage of providers with Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA) waivers to provide such treatment. Designing policies that would assist in the retention of MAT providers who prescribe buprenorphine is dependent upon learning more…
Results from the 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health show a gap between the US population in need of behavioral health and addiction treatment services and those who actually receive them. Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) were created in response to this survey, and expanded access to community-based treatment for those in…
Given the dramatic increase in opioid-related overdoses and substance use disorders (SUD), the need for greater access to treatment is significant. Medications in conjunction with psychosocial and recovery support services [medication-assisted treatment (MAT)] and other SUD treatment services often remain underutilized in behavioral health settings. In addition, barriers to treatment include lack of qualified treatment…
Currently, around 47.6 million Americans are living with a mental illness and 20.3 million adults are living with a substance use disorder (SUD). In 2016, only 43% (20.6 million) of adults living with any mental illness received mental health (MH) care, and only 3.7 million adults (18.2%) living with an SUD received any treatment. Peer…
Mental Health Counselors (MHCs) are a large and rapidly growing segment of the mental health workforce. However, little is known about this workforce other than its education and training requirements. This report describes a study that utilized an online survey to examine the characteristics of the current MHC workforce for the purposes of developing a…
Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has been shown to be effective for treating opioid use disorders (OUDs), but implementation is lagging, particularly in rural areas. Telehealth may be an effective solution for helping to make MAT more accessible for patients suffering from OUDs in geographically remote areas. This report described a study that utilized geospatial analysis and…
Novel approaches to providing access to behavioral health care, like collaborative care and integrated behavioral health primary and social care models, have shown short and long-term positive patient and family outcomes in frontier, rural, and urban communities. These approaches are complex and rely upon coordination, systems-based management, efficient communications, team and community relationships, and virtual…
Oral health providers across the country that work in the safety net have used a variety of innovative strategies to expand access to oral health services in community-based settings, including federally qualified health centers, schools and nursing homes, among others. This compendium summarizes best practices in innovative oral health service delivery programs drawn from over…
Unmet need for behavioral health care remains high. Behavioral health provider shortages and associated maldistribution of practitioners across the country may contribute to suboptimal behavioral healthcare availability, with an estimated 59.8% of the 5,035 mental health provider shortage areas in the US located in rural and partially rural areas. In addition, lack of access to…
Evaluation provides valuable information about the quality and effectiveness of a training program and offers insight into how current training activities fit within the mission, vision, and core values of a program. The Health Workforce Training Program Evaluation Toolkit is a comprehensive “program evaluation 101” resource for both new and established programs seeking to learn…
