Clinical & Support Options, Inc.’s Post

It’s Friday of National Public Health Week – let’s look at behavioral health services in North County. Despite a remarkable 596% increase in Marriage & Family Therapists employed since 2012, there's still a significant shortage of behavioral health workers. According to a 2022 report by San Diego Workforce Partnership, California's behavioral health workforce can only meet about a quarter of its need. SDNEDC investors TURN Behavioral Health Services, Palomar Health, Tri-City Medical Center, The Elizabeth Hospice and TrueCare are actively working to address this challenge. TURN Behavioral/Mental Health Systems (with 12 service centers in North County and a mission to reduce disparities in behavioral healthcare delivery) is leading the charge with innovative services focused on mental health, supportive housing, substance use disorders, and justice-involved individuals. Palomar Health and Tri-City Medical Center are expanding access to care by building new behavioral health hospitals, while The Elizabeth Hospice provides essential support and comfort to individuals and families facing life-limiting illnesses. TrueCare provides access to mental health services at 5 North County community clinics spanning Oceanside, San Marcos, and Encinitas. As the demand for behavioral health services continues to grow, these SDNEDC investors and other healthcare providers remain committed to bridging the gap and ensuring that everyone in North County has access to the care they need. #NPHW #behavioralhealth #sandiegohealth North County Industry Clusters: https://lnkd.in/gRA5XkR8 San Diego Workforce Study: https://lnkd.in/gv879CJM

Connecticut has a continuum of acute behavioral health services for youth that is consistent with national best practices, but they are at risk to fail until we put into place a sustainable funding approach. A small wireless surcharge -- which is how most states fund 911 -- would generate millions annually to fund these life-saving services for youth. That is already happening in California, Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington (and proposals are being considered in six additional states!). Check out my latest Policy Brief, co-authored with Gary Steck from Wellmore Behavioral Health, to learn more about this option, and a pathway to make it happen! https://lnkd.in/e55sEg2J

Invest more in front line mental health workers & less in rich folks who own companies that build facilities that we can’t staff due to massive workforce shortages. 28 million of 11.7 billion is for student loan repayment to incentivize grads to work in underserved areas of Texas. We can’t staff the state beds we have now due to workforce shortages. But, over 75% of the 11.7 billion goes to building infrastructure that can’t be staffed because we can’t get enough people educated as mental health professionals to fill the existing need much less attend to the increase in beds. Marginalized populations (ethnic/racial minorities, bilingual, GLBTQI, people with disabilities, etc) who we need even more in the profession are much more aware of taking out loans & less like to invest in education if they have to go into debt. We need grants to pay tuition for underrepresented groups in the profession & much more in loan repayment money, paid post-grad supervision, & professional development opportunities to incentivize folks to work in underserved areas with underserved populations.

Access to care, recruitment, and retention are all issues that need to be addressed in Behavioral Health and countless other professions. It's great to see the strategies that are working in Northern Michigan! #solutionsnet #MHCinsight #behavioralhealth #healthcareworkforce

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ recent policy statement on Emergency Behavioral Health Care offers important guidance. Emergency Departments (EDs) are critical lifelines for youth with complex medical needs or requiring inpatient psychiatric care; yet, it's important to recognize that we can do a better job helping youth avoid the ED for behavioral health concerns. Let's prevent behavioral health crises and reduce the need for ED-based behavioral health intervention by strengthening and expanding access to high-quality care in home, school, and community-based settings! When crises do occur, let's expand alternatives to the ED that are specifically designed for youth, such as mobile crisis (now 24/7 in CT!), urgent crisis centers, and intensive in-home interventions. Learn more about this topic and see CHDI's recommendations in this report: https://lnkd.in/ePH-e64i If a young person in your life is experiencing a behavioral health crisis, call 988 or find a mobile or urgent crisis services near you. 

Now that Proposition 1 passed, what does it mean to Californians? Read on as we will be watching and participating as often and as appropriate as possible. Proposition 1 Creates Behavioral Health Transformation (BHT) and DHCS is taking a step forward to modernize the state’s behavioral health delivery system. BHT is supported by the passage of Proposition 1, which:   - Evolves the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) into the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA). - Allocates funding to provide services to those with the most serious mental health conditions and/or substance use disorder. - Updates MHSA funding allocations by increasing support for housing interventions and workforce investments, continuing flexibility to use resources for local needs, and strengthening county oversight and fiscal accountability. - Allocates $6.4 billion in bonds to build 11,150 new behavioral health treatment beds and supportive housing, as well as outpatient capacity to help serve tens of thousands of people annually – from intensive services for people experiencing homelessness who also have severe mental illness, to counseling for children with depression, and everyone in between, including more than $4 billion for additional Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program investments.   You can check the DCBH website for more information. https://lnkd.in/gd6AQDdG

Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth, JED's Chief Medical Officer, spoke to Mark Keierleber for The 74 in an exclusive interview about youth #MentalHealth, the role social media plays, why marginalized youth face higher suicide risks, and actionable steps to protect young people's emotional well-being offered in our new report, "Youth Suicide: Current Trends and the Path to Prevention." Read the full interview: https://bit.ly/3HeZsRL #MentalHealth #MentalHealthMatters #JEDCares

📚 Insightful Article Alert! 🤔 We enjoyed reading a truly insightful article regarding The Jed Foundation (JED), an organization that's making waves in adolescent mental health. The Jed Foundation (JED) is a remarkable nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting emotional health and preventing suicide among our nation's teens and young adults. They're not just talking the talk; they're walking the walk, giving our youth the skills and support they need to thrive today and tomorrow. 🚀 It's a reminder that together, we can create a brighter and healthier tomorrow for our teens and young adults. Give it a read, share your thoughts, and let's keep the conversation going! 🌟 #MentalHealthMatters #AdolescentWellness #JEDFoundation #PodcastInsights #SportLeadership #SportKnowledge #athletedevelopment #athletementalhealth

This guide offers actionable recommendations for integrating behavioral health care into primary care for #olderadults, which can support more effective & #wholepersoncare. https://bit.ly/44POgX0 American Medical Association

Ebony Clarke, LCSW packs a lot into this piece. I appreciate the commitment that change, "the path to do better", begins with OHA. accountability and ownership matter. I also appreciate the call to long term investment, as well as to retaining services funded through M110. change takes time. While Ebony mentions prevention, I would add that it is essential to make long term investments in the prevention of behavioral health challenges. It is not only more cost effective, but leads to longer lasting outcomes as well as healthier kids, families and communities. https://lnkd.in/ec4kZswk