Posts Tagged ‘access to care’

Financial Anxiety is Becoming a Public Health Issue

Economic stress has long been framed as a personal budgeting challenge, or a macroeconomic concern measured in inflation rates, interest hikes, and employment numbers. But for millions of Americans, financial pressure is no longer an abstract concept, it is a daily psychological burden that is...

Keeping Clinicians in Private Practice: AI’s Role in Sustaining the Behavioral Health Workforce

The behavioral health workforce is under strain as demand for mental healthcare continues to accelerate. Over one third of the U.S. population lives in a Mental Health Professional Shortage Area as of 2024. Private practice clinicians are central to serving these communities, offering a low-cost...

The NYSPA Report: Federal and State Coverage of Telehealth and Its Role in Expanding Access to Mental Health Care

Following the COVID-19 public health emergency, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) made permanent expansions to the coverage of telehealth under the Medicare program. CMS has greatly increased the number of services included on the permanent list of telehealth services and...

NY State Office of Mental Health Hosts Forums to Address Federal Policy Change

The New York State Office of Mental Health is hosting a series of forums to discuss recent federal actions and plan for potential impacts on New York’s mental health system. These forums – five virtual and one in-person – follow two town hall meetings that were hosted by the agency this...

Addressing the Adolescent Behavioral Health Crisis

Over the last year I have been writing about the growing public health crisis of behavioral health challenges among adolescents and young adults, especially BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth. The United Hospital Fund (UHF), in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), recently released The...

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...

Safe Options Support: Charting a Path to Stability for Homeless Individuals through Coordinated Care

A transformative shift is underway for New York City programs focused on helping homeless individuals. Instead of relying on a singular approach to homeless outreach, new initiatives and adaptations are reshaping and diversifying the community-based services available. This remodeled,...

Access for All: Achieving Behavioral Health Equity in Healthcare

Health equity is a fundamental principle that aims to ensure that all individuals have an equal opportunity to achieve optimal health, regardless of their social or economic circumstances. Behavioral health equity refers to the fair and just distribution of behavioral health resources, supports,...

Finding Peace: A Journey to Positive Mental Mindset

Like many people who struggle with mental illness, Helise withdraws and isolates herself when she feels overwhelmed. While alone and shut in, she found herself ruminating about her thoughts and feelings, this pattern only made her feel worse. Feeling isolated and uncertain about what to do,...

Innovative Programs are Transforming New York State’s Behavioral Healthcare System

As we recover from the COVID Pandemic, we must look forward to the future and the critical issues our behavioral health care system will need to address. We know that over 40% of New Yorkers will have a mental health impact from this pandemic and we are seeing over twice the number of our youth...