An estimated 7.5 million people in California experience a mental health disorder in any given year, but only one-third of adults who experience mental illness are getting treatment. The caregivers at hospitals know the obstacles people with behavioral health conditions face and the challenges in getting them the treatment they need. While hospitals embrace the essential role they play in addressing this crisis, more needs to be done. Solutions like payment reform, resource allocation, more outpatient and community-based services, a bolstered behavioral health workforce, and a statewide set of standardized core services will help Californians with behavioral health conditions access the care they deserve.
About Behavioral Health
Report: COVID-19 Continues to Take a Toll on Americans’ Mental Health
A report from the United States Congress Joint Economic Committee examines how COVID-19’s health and economic repercussions have led to “an unprecedented mental health crisis” in America. The 13-page report summarizes earlier surveys and studies that have found:
Two-thirds of Americans fear that they or their loved ones will be exposed to the virus.
More than 12 million Americans are unemployed, and, since February, more than 5 million have given up looking for work.
Nearly one-third of adult Americans are having trouble paying for typical household expenses.
DHCS Offers List of Certified Recovery or Treatment Facilities
A web page maintained by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) may be useful for emergency departments and psychiatric hospitals in locating discharge sites. The list is alphabetical by county and includes all non-medical licensed residential facilities and alcoholism and drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities, as well as outpatient programs licensed and/or certified by DHCS. Contact numbers, addresses, and resident capacity are contained in the data.
President Issues Executive Order on Behavioral Health During the Pandemic
This week, President Trump issued an executive order to support enhanced crisis intervention and other behavioral health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CHA Spotlights CA Bridge Program
CHA and the California Bridge Program have partnered to provide members with a 15-minute on-demand video that explains the origins and benefits of the California Bridge Program’s highly successful opioid treatment model.
App Helps Guide Individuals During a Behavioral Health Crisis
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released “My Mental Health Crisis Plan,” a new mobile app that allows individuals with serious mental illness to create a plan to help guide their treatment preferences during a mental health crisis.
OHC Campaign Results in Thousands of Messages to Governor on Behavioral Health Bills
Our Health California (OHC), CHA’s digital community of more than 1 million Californians, recently concluded an advocacy campaign to advance key behavioral health legislation — Assembly Bills (AB) 3242 and 2112. The campaign generated more than 8,000 support messages to Gov. Newsom, who has now signed both bills into law.
Study Examines Outpatient Care for Youth After Psychiatric Hospitalization
A new cohort study published Aug. 11 in JAMA Network looks at Outpatient Mental Health Care for Youths After Psychiatric Hospitalization and Suicide Risk. The study found that risk of suicide during the six months after psychiatric hospitalization was decreased among youth who had an outpatient mental health visit within seven days after discharge, and concluded that addressing disparities in timely continuity of care may help advance health equity agendas.
OSHPD Awards $17.3 Million for Mental Health Programs
The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development has awarded $17.3 million in grants to seven programs to help build the pipeline of public mental health professionals in California.
New Website Launched for California Medication Assisted Treatment Expansion Project
The California Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Expansion Project has updated its website with new features and improvements.
Results of SAMHSA’s 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Now Available
Last week, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The annual survey is the nation’s primary resource for data on mental health and substance use among Americans.