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Empowering Care: Leveraging AI in Helplines and Telehealth
“I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” (2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968) “I’m going to enjoy watching you die, Mr. Anderson.” (The Matrix, 1999) “I’ll be back!” (The Terminator, 1984) Our cultural imagination is packed with images of terrifying,...
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Colorado Reforms Seek to Expand, Strengthen the Behavioral Health Safety Net
July of 2024 brought new laws impacting Colorado’s behavioral health system. While Colorado has continuously made some improvements and investments in behavioral health programs, the fundamental definitions of safety net services and providers were more than 60 years old. New Colorado reform laws...
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Historic Investment to Integrate Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Treatment into Primary Care
$240 million in funding will launch and expand behavioral health care services in 400 Community Health Centers that provide primary care to more than 10 million patients – advancing President Biden’s Unity Agenda The Administration has called on Congress to make behavioral health a required...
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Enhancing Geriatric Behavioral Health: Best-Practices and Technology-Assisted Care Solutions
As the United States grapples with the realities of an aging population, the importance of adapting our health and social service system of care to meet the needs of older adults has never been more critical. In 2020, approximately one in six people in the U.S. were aged 65 or over, highlighting a...
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How to Approach Treating Older Adults with Complex Mental and Physical Care Needs
Roughly 14% of adults over age 60 (WHO, 2023) live with a mental health condition. As the geriatric population continues to grow (Urban Institute, n.d.), so do its rates of mental distress, depression, and drug deaths (Wilson, 2024). The behavioral health industry must prepare for treating more...
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Meeting the Behavioral Health Needs of Today’s Older Adults: Considerations for Innovation
Between 2010 and 2020, the US experienced the largest-ever 10-year gain for those in the >65 age bracket, with an increase of 15.5 million people. According to the US Census Bureau, one in four Americans will be age 65 or older by 2060 (Caplan, 2023). Although today’s expanding older adult...
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We Can Break the Cycle of Preventable Emergency Room Visits and Improve Patients’ Lives
In New York State, almost half (48%) of emergency room visits are for routine, non-emergency care offered by community health providers or are otherwise preventable. These visits disrupt patients’ lives and strain limited hospital resources. Moreover, communication gaps between hospitals and...
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AI and Home Care: Navigating Challenges and Embracing Innovation to Meet Growing Needs
We are on the brink of a significant transformation in healthcare, driven by two converging crises: an aging population and an overburdened workforce. As the number of elderly individuals requiring care continues to grow, the home care sector faces unprecedented challenges due to high staff burnout...
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Technology Enhanced Care for Geriatric Behavioral Health
The use of technology in the healthcare industry has changed the way services are delivered, particularly in addressing the correlation between the geriatric population and behavioral healthcare. As the population grows, the need for care for various disorders, such as dementia, Alzheimer's,...
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Improving Staff and Patient Satisfaction with Compliance Technology
In Healthcare, behavioral health experiences significant challenges, including physical and psychological components of patient well-being. Successfully addressing these challenges involves integrating data-driven technology into quality of care. This article delves into the correlation between...