Manifesto Health’s Post

North Carolina currently ranks 39th in the country for access to mental health treatment. According to an article by FRONTLINE PBS: “On average, North Carolinians who go to an emergency room in crisis, wait 16 days for a state psychiatric hospital bed.” This mental health crisis has been festering since the early 1960s, when President JFK began the “deinstitutionalization” process. “Then in 1999, the Supreme Court ruled that those living with mental illness are entitled to live outside hospitals when they can. By then, many states had been moving long-term patients into the community, said Duke University’s Dr. Marvin S. Swartz.” “It wasn’t that North Carolina was unique,” Swartz said, “it just was we got to the game later and overshot, overestimating our ability to create the community services we needed to create this ecosystem where people weren’t totally dependent on beds.” And access to beds has not gone up in proportion to an increased population in NC. In fact, it’s gone down. “There were 1,572 beds in 2000. Today, there are 894 — and only two-thirds of those are operating due to staff shortages, the state health department said.” The North Carolina legislature is finally making efforts to remediate these issues. “On March 23rd, the North Carolina legislature voted to expand Medicaid. The changes won’t go into effect, however, until the state enacts a budget. Legislative leaders hope that will happen before the end of June.” “When this law takes effect, it will make health care accessible to more than 600,000 North Carolinians,” Gov. Roy Cooper said, “many of them in the grips of mental illness or substance abuse who need health care, not handcuffs.” Read more and follow the story PBS North Carolina / FRONTLINE PBS here: https://lnkd.in/ez4HYj-B

📢 New legislation coming into affect in 2024 increases the number of #mentalhealth providers covered under #Medicare. Since the onset of the #pandemic, a spotlight has been shown on how critical access to mental health care is for everyone, especially in rural areas 🌲 where 1 in 3 people receive Medicare. With roughly 18% of Americans covered by Medicare, this new law 📜 allows them to access many more mental health providers and addiction services, taking another small step towards mental health equity!

🎉 "Restructuring behavioral health care systems' goals and relationships is rigorous and at times exhausting work. Celebrating the fruits of recovery partnership can help sustain investment in the transformation process. Everyone—from clients to local treatment administrators, from allied agencies to mayors and governors—needs to see and celebrate the fruits of systems transformation." 🙌 -The Role of Partnership in Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care: The Philadelphia Experience 2009 🎊 #mentalhealthmonth2024 #history #philadelphia #transformationalleadership #advocacyinaction #healthcareinnovation #innovators #progress  #recoveryworks #professionalally  #peersupport #behavioralmedicine #addiction #addictiontreatment #policy #harmreduction #medications #medicationsafety #patientsafety #policiesandprocedure #interpretation #implementation #restraintreduction #systemnavigator #advocate #withdrawalmanagement #ASAMcriteria #OpioidUseDisorders #RecoveryIsPossible #depression #parity #socialimpact #socialdeterminantsofhealth #equity #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #covid #healthcarereform #mentalhealthishealth #socialmedia #conflict #opioidcrisis #substancesusedisorders #testimony #legislation #bigpharma #privateequity #hospitals #overdose #overdoseprevention #suicideprevention #congress #healthcaresystem #fragmentation #collaboration #dei #inequity #inequality #publichealth #publichealthcare #staffing #accesstojustice #accesstocare #standardofcare #regulations #integrativemedicine #integratedcare #nostigma #funding #resources

Great example of how Peer Specialists can help support women with SUD access support when pregnant or before they become pregnant to help to prevent these conditions! Way to go, Carelon! #peersupport #substanceusedisorder #resources #community

"California Hospitals, Advocates Seek Stable Funding to Retain Behavioral Health Navigators" Here's what I'll take from this: Amidst a growing drug crisis, California's initiative using behavioral health navigators to steer substance use disorder patients into long-term treatment faces a critical funding dilemma. This initiative, pivotal for transitioning patients from emergency care to recovery paths, grapples with the uncertainty of one-time funding, underscoring the need for sustainable solutions in the fight against opioid addiction. Check out the full piece below: https://lnkd.in/dGmgcxtY #hospitals #funding #health #patients

Exciting developments in mental health coverage! CMS unveils essential changes to expand access to behavioral health services under Medicare in 2024. If you're a provider navigating these updates or considering launching behavioral health services, we're here to help! Schedule a virtual meeting with us to discuss: https://lnkd.in/gVJiE66d #MentalHealth #AccessToCare #HealthcarePartnership

Changes to Medicare are now in place to support behavioral health. The new policy changes provide more flexibility in the types of providers that are eligible to be reimbursed by Medicare. This includes licensed marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors who can now bill Medicare directly for services. Additionally, the reforms elevate the importance of addressing the social needs of beneficiaries and encourage and support the provision of community-based care. The changes also enable providers to bill for behavioral health crisis services as part of mobile crisis teams at appropriate rates. This is a significant step in expanding access to behavioral health services. Moreover, more types of clinicians such as social workers and mental health counselors are now allowed to bill for the treatment of behavioral health needs related to physical health problems, such as the mental health challenges that come with managing sickle cell disease. Another positive change is the increase in the amount that Medicare pays for psychotherapy codes and some related behavioral health services. These policies create the capacity and flexibility to implement culturally and linguistically effective services, which can help to promote racial equity. Overall, these changes provide additional resources for both early intervention and crisis intervention services. They also allow for the provision of community-based care, which is an essential component of behavioral health services. With these reforms in place, we can continue to improve access to quality care for individuals with behavioral health needs. #Medicare #BehavioralHealth #HealthcareReforms #CommunityCare #MentalHealth

In a revolutionary approach to #behavioralhealth integration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid announced today, the Innovation in Behavioral Health Model (IBH). The IBH model's goal is to improve the overall quality of care and outcomes for adults with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorder by connecting them with the physical, behavioral, and social supports needed to manage their care. Read the entire press release below: https://lnkd.in/gDz5vff9

Did you know? Recovery is highly personal and occurs via many pathways. It may include clinical treatment, medications, faith-based approaches, peer support, family support, self-care, or other approaches. Recovery is characterized by continual growth and improvement in one’s health and wellness and managing setbacks. Because setbacks are a natural part of life, resilience becomes a key component of recovery. The four major dimensions of recovery are health, home (having a stable and safe place to live), purpose, and community. It is never too late to start your recovery journey! Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Presented by McLean County Community Health. Strong Individuals…Create Strong Families…Create Strong Communities. If you are in crisis and need immediate help, please call PATH at 211 or 1-888-865-9903. Carle Health The Baby Fold The Center for Youth and Family Solutions Brightpoint McLean County Health Department Project Oz Regional Office of Education 17 Town of Normal, IL West Bloomington Revitalization Project Mid Central Community Action, Inc. OSF HealthCare

Community Opioid/Overdose Capacity Building (COM-CAP) is a project funded by Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addiction Program, and led by Public Health Ontario. The goal is to support community-led responses to opioid/overdose-related harms in communities across Ontario. Stigma operates across multiple levels and contributes to discrimination and inequities, including opioid-related deaths. To deepen the understanding of this issue and the pathways to action in anti-stigma work, COM-CAP has developed a new resource that investigates the characteristics and effectiveness of interventions for reducing substance use-related stigma. Despite progress, challenges and gaps persist, including the limited evidence for multi-level stigma interventions, the need for institutional support for community engagement, and the importance of authentic engagement for effective and sustained stigma reduction. Learn more about this new resource and COM-CAP now. https://vist.ly/7si