About Behavioral Health
California has a behavioral health care crisis, as more Californians need care, and there are not enough providers to deliver that care. As a last resort, those facing a mental health crisis turn to hospital emergency departments. The number of people going to an emergency department for mental health needs jumped 68% from 2010 to 2020; for children 12 to 17 that number climbed 31%. Creating a behavioral health care system means making access easier and more equitable, while ensuring patients receive care in the most appropriate setting.
Advancing the Fight for Better Behavioral Health Care
Last week, CHA held its Behavioral Health Care Symposium, attended by hundreds of clinical professionals, hospital leaders, policymakers, and community stakeholders. This annual gathering highlights the important work hospitals are doing alongside many others to improve behavioral health care across the state. Sessions at the symposium highlighted successful collaborations among hospitals, counties, and health plans.
CHA Symposium Focuses on New Approaches to Behavioral Health Care
What’s happening: More than 250 health care professionals and hospital leaders from across California gathered in Long Beach on Dec. 4-5 for CHA’s annual Behavioral Health Symposium.
What else to know: Attendees discussed innovative ways to connect patients to community-based care and tackle stigma, updates to California’s involuntary treatment and emergency services laws, and more.
DEA, HHS Extend Telehealth Prescribing Flexibilities
What’s happening: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extended existing waiver flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine through Dec. 31, 2025.
What else to know: This is the third extension.
CNN Hero of the Year to Speak at 2024 Behavioral Health Care Symposium
What’s happening: CNN’s 2023 Hero of the Year, Kwane Stewart, DVM, is a featured speaker at CHA’s upcoming 2024 Behavioral Health Care Symposium, being held in Long Beach Dec. 4-5.
What else to know: Dr. Stewart, a practicing veterinarian in California, will share his personal story about founding Project Street Vet, which offers free veterinary care, treatment, and support to the pets of individuals experiencing homelessness and/or financial hardship.
2024 Behavioral Health Care Symposium’s Early Bird Deadline Draws Near
What’s happening: CHA’s 2024 Behavioral Health Care Symposium is coming to Long Beach on Dec. 4-5 and will bring California’s hospital leaders together to discuss innovative ways to connect patients with community-based care, among many other things. Registration is open, and early bird tuition ends Nov. 11.
What else to know: California Surgeon General Diana E. Ramos, MD, MPH, MBA, will deliver the opening keynote, and sessions include how to tackle stigma toward people living with substance use disorders, collaborating to help patients with complex needs, and updates to California’s involuntary treatment and emergency services laws.
CHA Webinar Covers Key Developments in Behavioral Health Policy
What’s happening: A complimentary, CHA members-only webinar on Oct. 30 from 9-10 a.m. (PT) will tackle the current “state of the state” around behavioral health care policy updates and how they’re affecting care delivery and patient outcomes.
What else to know: Registration is open.
HQI Quality Quarterly Spotlights Patient Safety Strategies
What’s happening: The latest edition of Quality Quarterly explores the prevalence of behavioral health conditions among California hospital encounters, the dangers of menopause misdiagnosis, new patient safety measures outlined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the need for effective reporting of workplace violence incidents by hospital staff.
What else to know: More than half of California hospitals now use HQI’s Hospital Quality Improvement Platform (HQIP), which provides comparative analytics to help hospitals identify opportunities for improvement. Learn about HQIP’s new features and updates in this latest edition.
Summary: Finalized Mental Health Parity Regulations
What’s happening: CHA has issued a members-only summary of the Mental Health Parity Final Rule that aims to improve access to mental health services by requiring health plans to make changes when inadequate access is provided.
What else to know: The regulations are effective Nov. 22.
CHA to Host Webinar on New Reimbursement Options for Inpatient Psychiatric Care
What’s happening: CHA is hosting a members-only webinar on Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. (PT) on new Medi-Cal reimbursement options for inpatient psychiatric care.
What else to know: During this webinar, expert speakers will describe new options for hospitals seeking reimbursement for the inpatient psychiatric care they provide to Medi-Cal beneficiaries. Registration is open.
Mental Health Parity Rules Finalized
What’s happening: The departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services have finalized rules to improve access to mental health services by requiring health plans to make changes when inadequate access is provided.
What else to know: The final rule reinforces the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA), which requires health plans to ensure that access to mental health or substance use disorder care is not more restrictive than access to medical and surgical benefits.