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NABH Maps Out Pathways to a Better Addiction Treatment System

Written by Administrator on . Posted in News Releases.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jessica Zigmond 202.393.6700, ext. 101 jessica@nabh.org WASHINGTON, DC (August 9, 2018)— The National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) today released Pathways to Care: Treating Opioid and Substance Use Disorders, a white paper that offers practical and applicable approaches to fixing America’s frayed substance use disorder treatment delivery system. In 2016, more than 20 million individuals in the United States had a substance use disorder (SUD), and 89 percent of individuals who needed treatment did not receive it. This is known as the treatment gap, and it exists for individuals with all types of SUDs, including opioid use disorder. The treatment gap is literally killing us and reducing life expectancy in the United States. The current system is characterized by limited integration between specialty addiction care and the general medical community; low use of evidence-based practices; poorly organized services that often confuse the public; limited, inconsistent, and unpredictable financing; and insufficient workforce capacity to meet consumer demand. The good news is the United States has highly skilled clinicians and first-rate health systems and programs to treat people with SUDs. Now we need to improve access to those providers and services. “As we build a better system to address the opioid crisis, we must look to strengthen and sustain the entire system of care,” Sarah A. Wattenberg, director of quality and addiction services at NABH, writes in Pathways to Care. “Only then will we realize our full potential—and save lives in the process.” Wattenberg’s paper is a landscape review that presents information about unhealthy substance use and how the delivery system often fails to connect people to treatment; provide the correct evidence-based services; monitor patient recovery during and after treatment; and re-engage patients whose symptoms recur. Along with the paper, NABH released a Pathways to Care provider checklist, an infographic that identifies key Pathways milestones, and shareable graphics to post on Twitter and LinkedIn. To access these materials, please visit www.nabh.org/pathways. Also be sure to follow us on Twitter (@NABHbehavioral), LinkedIn, and YouTube. To schedule interviews with Sarah A. Wattenberg, please contact Jessica Zigmond using the contact information at the top of this news release.

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About NABH The National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) advocates for behavioral healthcare and represents provider systems that are committed to delivering responsive, accountable, and clinically effective prevention, treatment, and care for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults with mental and substance use disorders. Its members are behavioral healthcare provider organizations that own or manage more than 1,000 specialty psychiatric hospitals, general hospital psychiatric and addiction treatment units and behavioral healthcare divisions, residential treatment facilities, youth services organizations, and extensive outpatient networks. The association was founded in 1933.
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NABH Commends Policymakers for Introducing Bill to Boost Behavioral Healthcare Workforce

Written by Administrator on . Posted in Letters, Statements.

NABH has sent letters to policymakers in the House and Senate who introduced respective versions of the Opioid Workforce Act of 2018 to expand and improve addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, or pain management residency positions to address America’s opioid crisis.

Letter to Representative Crowley

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Representative Crowley Letter

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Letter to Senator Nelson

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Senator Nelson Letter

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News Release

Written by Administrator on . Posted in News Releases.

NABH issued a news release about the need for wider access to behavioral healthcare services in the United States after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported this week that suicide rates have increased in nearly every state from 1999 to 2016.
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Signature Healthcare Services’ Aurora San Diego Hospital Hosts Congressional Site Visit

Written by Administrator on . Posted in Resources.

NABH Member Hosts Congressional Site Visit

NABH member Signature Healthcare Services’ Aurora San Diego hospital recently hosted Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), who toured the facility and met with hospital leaders to discuss some the biggest challenges facing the behavioral healthcare industry.

Aurora San Diego provides mental health and substance abuse services both on an inpatient and outpatient basis for children, adolescents, adults and older adults. Aurora also has a highly regarded military treatment program for active duty members who are working through combat-related trauma, general mental health issues and substance use disorders.

Rep. Peters and hospital leaders discussed addressing the opioid crisis and removing some outdated federal barriers to care, including the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion that prevents adult Medicaid beneficiaries from accessing acute care in facilities with more than 16 beds, and Medicare’s 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient care in a psychiatric hospital.

Following his tour, Rep. Peters hosted a Town Hall-style meeting with about 50 Aurora employees from across all disciplines to discuss the need for more resources to address mental health for service members and veterans.

For information and help coordinating a congressional site visit, please contact Julia E. Richardson, NABH’s director of advocacy and senior counsel, at julia@nabh.org.

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We are the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare

Written by Administrator on . Posted in News Releases.

 

 

CONTACT:      Jessica Zigmond                                                           FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                        202.393.6700, ext. 101

                        jessica@nabh.org

 

NAPHS Becomes National Association for Behavioral Healthcare

 

WASHINGTON, DC (March 19, 2018) —The Board of Trustees of the former National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) announced the association has changed its name to the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH), effective Monday, March 19, 2018.

 

“Today, our country’s behavioral healthcare challenges seem greater than ever,” said NABH President/CEO Mark Covall.

 

“The opioid crisis, high rate of suicide, and spate of mass shootings remind us every day why our members are critical players in America’s healthcare continuum,” he continued.  “Our nation’s behavioral health needs are as complex as they are numerous. That’s why we decided our association’s name should better reflect all our members and the comprehensive range of services they provide.”

  

 

Last fall, the Board agreed the new association name should:

  • Reflect the association’s Mission to advocate for behavioral healthcare and represent the providers who deliver care to those with mental health and substance use disorders;
  • Reflect the association’s Vision of a society where behavioral healthcare is recognized, respected, and allocated resources with fairness and equity as part of overall health;
  • Represent the association’s diverse membership; and
  • Invite other organizations to join the association.

“For 85 years, our association’s members have cared for those with mental health and substance use disorders, and always looked ahead to new treatments, programs and services,” said NABH Board Chair Brent Turner. “Our Board understood that our new name should build on our association’s excellent and longstanding work—and, more important, position the association for the future.”

 

Also Monday, the Board introduced NABH’s social media channels on Twitter (@NABHbehavioral), LinkedIn and YouTube.  The announcements came on the first day of the 2018 NABH Annual Meeting (#NABH18), which will take place at the Mandarin Oriental Washington, DC through Wednesday.  Guest speakers at the meeting include Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Elinore McCance-Katz, M.D., Ph.D., former NFL player and behavioral healthcare advocate Ryan Leaf, former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.)

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About NABH

The National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH) advocates for behavioral healthcare and represents provider systems that are committed to the delivery of responsive, accountable, and clinically effective prevention, treatment, and care for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults with mental and substance use disorders. Its members are behavioral healthcare provider organizations that own or manage more than 1,000 specialty psychiatric hospitals, general hospital psychiatric and addiction treatment units and behavioral healthcare divisions, residential treatment facilities, youth services organizations, and extensive outpatient networks. The association was founded in 1933.

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NABH Inside Scoop: White House Opioid Commission’s Final Report Recommends Removing IMD Exclusion

Written by Administrator on . Posted in Newsletters.

President Trump’s opioid commission reiterated its earlier recommendation to remove the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion in one of several policy changes the panel suggested in its final report on Thursday.
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NABH Inside Scoop: White House Opioid Commission’s Final Report Recommends Removing IMD Exclusion

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NABH ad as seen in Politico and Roll Call titled “Helping Americans with mental and substance use conditions is important to overall health and to our economy.

Written by Administrator on . Posted in News Releases.

NABH ad as seen in Politico and Roll Call titled “Helping Americans with mental and substance use conditions is important to overall health and to our economy. Congress agreed….Save lives, families, and communities with behavioral health.”
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NABH ad as seen in Politico and Roll Call titled "Helping Americans with mental and substance use conditions is important to overall health andto our economy. Congress agreed....Save lives, families, and communities with behavioral health."

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