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NYSPA Report: New Federal Policy in Support of Suicide Prevention
Earlier this year, the Biden Administration launched a new national strategy on Suicide Prevention. According to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): In the United States, someone dies by suicide every 11 minutes; the rates of suicidal behaviors have...
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AI in Health Insurance: Ensuring Accountability and Oversight in an Evolving Landscape
One might say Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a double-edged sword. It has already proven helpful in streamlining and automating repetitive tasks in many areas of daily life. Yet, AI is also full of risks and dangers when not appropriately balanced with human supervision. In October 2023,...
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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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Nursing Home Initiated Discharges of Residents a Critical Issue for Patients with Mental Health Disorders
Nursing homes care for a growing number of adults with mental health disorders. In fact, mental health is sometimes a decisive factor that contributes to placement in a nursing home, causing nursing homes to become the de facto institution for persons with mental illness. Thus, there is increasing...
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Behavioral Health News Spotlight on Excellence: An Interview with Jihoon Kim, CEO of InUnity Alliance
Overview In this interview, Jorge R. Petit, Founder/CEO of Quality Healthcare Solutions, LLC, speaks with Jihoon Kim, CEO of InUnity Alliance (asapnys.org / coalitionny.org). Jihoon discusses his strategic vision and priorities for addressing the growing mental health and addiction crisis in New...
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NYSPA Report – Chronic Pain and Behavioral Health: Underlying Data and Regulatory Responses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines chronic pain as pain lasting more than three months that can result from an underlying medical disease or condition, injury, medical treatment, inflammation, or unknown cause.1 Studies find a strong correlation between pain and mental...
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New York Health Equity Reform: A Transformative Shift in New York’s Medicaid Landscape
On January 9, 2024, New York’s Department of Health received its long-awaited amendment to our Medicaid 1115 demonstration, newly rebranded NYHER (NY Health Equity Reform). It’s not as flashy nor as generously funded as the special purpose DSRIP (Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment)...
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Governor Hochul Launches $102 Million Effort to Expand Care and Treatment for New Yorkers with Serious Mental Illness
$92 Million to Develop 26 Teams Providing "Critical Time Intervention" for Discharged Patients Receiving Mental Health Care Services $10 Million to Expand 'Safe Options Support' Initiative Which Has Successfully Moved Nearly 390 Long-Term Homeless New Yorkers Into Stable Housing ...
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Revolutionizing Healthcare: The Future of Integrated Care for All
In a landmark move, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through CMS, announced on January 19, 2024 the Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model. This initiative is a game-changer in healthcare, especially for underserved and marginalized communities where health disparities...