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Grassroots Advocacy: Addiction Recovery Support in New York State
The recently released 413-page, Surgeon General’s Report, “Facing Addiction in America – Alcohol, Drugs & Health,” (the first report of its kind to focus on the public health crisis of addiction) is being compared to the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking credited with millions...
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Beacon’s Unique Staffing to Facilitate System Reform in New York State
Since 1997, Beacon been a valued partner and thought leader for managed care plans, local and state agencies, and provider and consumer stakeholder groups in New York State, enabling Beacon to execute programming that achieves the intended goals of New York’s Medicaid Redesign Team. Our...
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The NYSPA Report: Taking Stock and Taking Leave
Advocacy must be unending, ongoing work because there is always more to accomplish and always the danger that hard-won gains may be undone. For the past 14 years I have either written or edited the work of guest columnists for the quarterly NYSPA Report in Behavioral Health News (BHN) or in Mental...
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Transforming Behavioral Health Systems of Care to Improve Outcomes and Promote Value
Many state and county Medicaid programs are considering the implementation of managed care models in their behavioral health care systems in order to ensure consistent quality outcomes for their residents with a mental health condition or substance use disorder. As a national leader in managed...
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Consumer Perspectives on Change: for Better or for Worse
We were asked to consider whether changes in the way we receive and respond to behavioral health services has been for better or for worse, now that Medicaid Managed Care is the order of the day. It was a tough conversation because at the beginning, some of us really felt like we hadn’t even...
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Driving System Success During Times of Change
The adult New York State Behavioral Health System recently transitioned to Medicaid Managed Care. While everyone would acknowledge initial challenges and ongoing issues to be resolved, overall, the transition has been successful. This article will highlight the positive aspects of the...
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Fight Against Threats to Behavioral Heath Funding
The Trump presidency and Republican control of the Congress may do great damage to the already inadequate American mental health system by repealing the Affordable Care Act, eliminating Medicaid as an entitlement, privatizing Medicare, and limiting the authority of the states to regulate health...
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The Presidential Election: Time for Behavioral Health Advocates to Speak Out
The next President of the United States can act to improve or to harm the American mental health system. Behavioral health advocates should speak out now to provide the political pressure that will be needed to improve rather than to harm the system. Preserve The Affordable Care Act Perhaps the...
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NYSPA Report: Raise the Age of Jurisdiction
An important part of the mission of the New York State Psychiatric Association is its work to assure the incorporation of good, up to date science into public policy as well as its work to protect vulnerable populations. NYSPA’s advocacy for raising the age of criminal responsibility in New York...
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Becoming a Millennial Nonprofit
Health and human services nonprofits across the country are in the midst of a developmental crisis. Taking a page from Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development our sector is in the “industry vs. inferiority” stage battling with the question “Can my organization make it in the world of...
