Accurate enumeration of behavioral health workforce supply and characteristics is important for workforce planning. Although numerous data sources exist for the behavioral health workforce, all have substantial data limitations and comparability across data sources is low. A behavioral health workforce Minimum Data Set (MDS) was developed in 2016 to improve data quality. This qualitative report…
Because 60–80% of all primary care visits include a behavioral health component, providing integrated services in primary care is now considered a priority for health systems as they strive to meet patient needs and improve population health. Integrated care typically involves behavioral healthcare workers such as social workers and psychologists working on teams with primary care…
Many individuals suffer from both mental health and substance use disorders, but few providers are trained to provide both mental health and substance use treatment. Treatment for individuals who suffer from both mental health and substance use conditions is critical to helping reduce the burden on other systems such as emergency rooms, social services, and…
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…
A large percentage of patients experiencing behavioral health issues seek help in primary care settings. Most are discharged without receiving behavioral health treatments. Furthermore, roughly half of all care for common psychiatric disorders is provided in primary care settings, and patients are often more open to discussing mental health concerns with their primary care physicians….
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…
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…
