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Surviving the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Behavioral Health Effects of Social Distancing and the Social Safety Net
In communities across the United States, social distancing measures are in place to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This is necessary to flatten the curve for Coronavirus infection rates and not overburden our healthcare system as there is no effective treatment or a vaccine on the horizon....
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Helping Vulnerable Populations During COVID-19: Challenges of Mitigation in Congregate Residential Settings
In New York City, tens of thousands of people with serious mental illness or developmental disabilities live in congregate housing or homeless shelters. For behavioral health agencies like the Institute for Community Living (ICL), the COVID-19 pandemic has presented an urgent challenge: With over...
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HDSW’s Living Room: Crisis Day Respite for the COVID-19 Crisis
Crisis in every form, including behavioral health, social, economic and medical, accompanies a pandemic. So what happens to face-to-face crisis services for vulnerable populations when needs are greater, access is more difficult, and social distancing and health risks turn already-fragile worlds...
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Current Telehealth Expansion in the Behavioral Health Sector
Technology permeates almost every facet of our lives, personally and professionally, making communication easier and faster. With seemingly limitless avenues for connection, technology increases the number of touchpoints between people. Now in the middle of an unprecedented heath crisis, many...
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Housing Is Healthcare: But Only If Our Housing Infrastructure Remains Healthy
An abundance of evidence now confirms what most behavioral health professionals have suspected for many years – safe and stable housing, coupled with appropriate health and social support services, reduces recipients’ reliance on costly emergency and institutional care services (Martinez &...
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Four Considerations for Behavioral Healthcare Design
A well-designed healthcare environment is essential for successful treatment. This is especially true for the millions of vulnerable Americans utilizing behavioral healthcare and addiction treatment facilities. These spaces must be designed with treatment of the whole patient in mind. We adhere to...
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Addressing the Psychological Fallout of The Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic in the United States has led to great efforts to prevent the spread of the virus and to prevent fatalities. But the problems that people will face due to the pandemic will go beyond medical issues. In addition, it will be important to address a variety of psychosocial...
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Housing as an Innovative Solution in Medicaid Redesign
As state leaders and stakeholders look to contain spending growth in New York’s Medicaid program, one proven way to a more cost-effective care system with better outcomes, is through supportive housing services for high-cost Medicaid recipients. Housing and health are deeply interconnected....
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Deinstitutionalization Did Not Cause Homelessness: Loss of Low-income Housing and Disability Benefits Did
I recently read yet another article that blames homelessness on deinstitutionalization. Yes, a disproportionate number of homeless people have long-term mental disorders, and yes some—perhaps a third—of these people would have been in state hospitals 65 or 70 years ago when that was pretty much...
