Best and Evidence-Based Practices | Behavioral Health Today

CDC takes new steps to combat childhood obesity…without direct behavioral health involvement

Research project will focus on doctors, communities and families to help children make healthy choices

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today launched a new effort to address childhood obesity using successful elements of both primary care and public health. Funding made available through the Affordable Care Act will support a four [...]

RWJF Releases National Quality Reporting Map

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has released an online tool to help patients find healthcare quality information and select local providers. The tool, called Comparing Health Care Quality: A National Directory, allows users to select a region on an online map and then provides links to reports from local quality organizations and hospital associations. The [...]

Consumer-Operated Mental Health Services KIT Available Online

The second of the new SAMHSA toolkits authored by AHP has finally been released. Hard copies of the Consumer-Operated Services KIT and DVD are expected to be available soon. Until they are available in those formats, the SAMHSA web site has all of the booklets in PDF format at http://store.samhsa.gov/product/Consumer-Operated-Services-Evidence-Based-Practices-EBP-Kit/SMA11-4633CD-DVD

This KIT is a comprehensive [...]

Seize the Opportunity: Experts Agree that BH Field Must Standardize Tools and Integrate with Primary Care

It’s true that the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA, or “Parity” as it is often referred to) and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) create many opportunities for integration between mental health, substance use disorder and primary care providers. However, some of that integration will feel like a draconian [...]

The Behavioral Health Field Must Address Quality – Part 1

Last week, the President of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), Margaret O’Kane, reported that quality of care in the United States did not improve in 2008. She went on to say that she believes health reform must address quality. A review of the report makes it abundantly clear to this author that [...]

“Addiction Equity” – Addressing Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Coverage with the help of ASAM

We recently presented to the State Associations of Addictions Services (SAAS) at their annual summit in Tucson where they had joined forces with NIATx (and by extension SAMHSA and NIDA) in the interest of exploring patient engagement strategies, the exchange of process improvement ideas, and understanding how healthcare reform and the Mental Health Parity [...]

Challenges & Opportunities in Public Behavioral Health Systems

I am attending the SAMHSA Grantees conference this week and presenting on the topic of Parity. The theme for the entire conference is “Challenges & Opportunities”. I’ve already prepared my slides and hand-outs but did a bit more thinking on the plane. I did more reading, to be honest. My briefcase is jammed with [...]

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