White House Releases Fact Sheet on Strategy to Address Nation’s Mental Health Crisis
The Biden Administration concluded Mental Health Month this week by announcing new actions to advance President Biden’s mental health strategy in three previously announced objectives: strengthening system capacity, connecting more Americans to care services, and creating a continuum of support.
The White House noted that America’s mental health crisis is unprecedented, as two in five American adults report symptoms of anxiety and depression, and more than half of U.S. parents express concern about their children’s mental well-being. Meanwhile, the announcement continued, more than 40% of teenagers report they struggle with persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
“These growing demands have exposed longstanding cracks in our care infrastructure while compounding many other challenges, from criminal justice to homelessness to the labor shortage,” the White House announcement said.
In a new fact
sheet, the Biden Administration outlined applicable action steps to address the crisis, such as promoting the well-being of the healthcare workforce, piloting new approaches to training behavioral health paraprofessionals, bolstering the nation’s crisis care and suicide prevention infrastructure, building capacity for long-term care facilities to deliver behavioral health services, making care affordable across all types of health insurance coverage, integrating mental health services in ways that reduce stigma and access barriers, and more.
HHS’ Office on Women’s Health Announces Grant Program to Reduce Maternal Deaths Due to SUD
HHS’ Office on Women’s Health is accepting applications for projects designed to strengthen the perinatal (from conception to birth) and postnatal (up to 12 months after birth) to support structures for patients with substance use disorder (SUD) and reduce deaths during those two time periods.
Applicants who receive funding will be expected to partner with hospital and community-based organizations to implement evidence-based interventions that strengthen perinatal and postnatal support structures for patients with SUD; create a technologically innovative education and outreach products to provide support accessible to perinatal and postpartum patients with SUD at home and on the go to reduce triggers, decrease stress, and increase feelings of support; and improve health outcomes and reduce deaths among perinatal and postpartum patients associated with SUD.
Both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations are eligible to apply. Click
here to learn more and apply.
National Academies’ Forum on Mental Health and SUD to Host Summer Workshop on Early Intervention for Psychosis
The National Academies’ Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders will host a public workshop this summer that focuses on early intervention for psychosis, current data on the epidemiology and outcomes for people at high risk for psychosis and those who have experienced a first psychosis, and ways to improve care for these patients.
Sessions will provide an overview of the epidemiology for people with psychosis, discuss what services are available and highlight successful models of care, and examine policy solutions and strategies that are most effective for coordinated specialty services.
The workshop will be held on Monday, July 11 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. Click
here to register.
NABH Working to Enhance Denial-of-Care Portal
NABH’s Denial-of-Care Portal is temporarily unavailable as the association works to enhance features of this member-only resource.
NABH developed the portal so members could submit individual examples of claim denials or upload multiple entries via Excel. It also includes sections on appeals and physician participation and is intended to help the association in its advocacy efforts with policymakers and regulators.
NABH will inform members when the updated portal is ready to use.
Learn About Our 2022 Annual Meeting Speakers!
The NABH 2022 Annual Meeting is fewer than two weeks away. Please be sure to learn more about this year’s speakers
here on our Annual Meeting homepage.
And please be sure to
register for the meeting, if you have not done so yet.
We look forward to seeing you soon in Washington!
Fact of the Week
A new study in
JAMA Psychiatry found that after sustaining a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), some individuals—on the basis of education, race/ethnicity, history of mental health problems and cause of injury—were at substantially increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or major depressive disorder (MDD).
For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond