For interviews with integrated health experts, contact Meena Dayak at MeenaD@thenationalcouncil.org or 202.684.3728.

Washington, DC (September 28, 2010)—The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (National Council) has won a competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Primary and Behavioral Healthcare Integration. The Center will address the comprehensive health needs of patients with mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders by improving the coordination of healthcare services in publicly funded community settings. The Center is funded jointly by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA).

The Center will provide training and technical assistance to 56 organizations that have collectively been awarded more than $26.2 million in grants as well as to community health centers and other primary care and behavioral health organizations. According to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, these grants are part of an unprecedented push by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to help prevent and reduce chronic disease and promote wellness by treating behavioral health needs on an equal footing with other health conditions.

“The National Council is honored to have this opportunity to assist dedicated safety net healthcare providers across the country,” said Linda Rosenberg, MSW, President and CEO of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. “We are grateful for this important federal investment in saving and improving the lives of persons with behavioral health disorders. We congratulate the grantees and look forward to working with them, with the larger healthcare community and with consumers of services to eliminate barriers between mental and physical health. Together, we can ensure people receive the right care at the right time, in all settings.”

According to a 2006 national survey, persons with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression have lower than average life expectancy and die, on average, at the age of 53 — often from untreated and preventable chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Lack of access to primary care and specialty medicine is a critical factor in these tragic outcomes and the new HHS grants provide an opportunity to address this public health emergency.

SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, JD said, “The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is excited about the possibilities that healthcare reform brings to individuals, families, communities, and providers. Our continued collaboration with the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare and other organizations is critical to ensuring the successful implementation of health reform. The new grants allow us to bring needed healthcare services to patients in a coordinated and convenient manner and can go a long way in helping to improve health status.”

The National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Primary and Behavioral Healthcare Integration will focus activities in six core areas: workforce development; knowledge application; knowledge development and dissemination; healthcare reform and policy analysis issues; prevention and health promotion; and quality improvement, performance measurement and data collection. An important goal of the Center is to increase the number of practitioners, consumers and families, trained in behavioral health wellness and recovery practices. The National Council is fortunate to have as partners in the Center, a diverse array of national associations, universities, and consumer-based agencies that have been the architects of the movement to integrate primary and behavioral healthcare.

“HRSA supports the work of Community Health Centers across the nation, assuring that patients living with mental health or substance abuse concerns can get the screening, treatment and referral for all their healthcare needs,” said Mary K. Wakefield, PhD, RN, Administrator of HRSA. “As health centers and other safety net providers work to meet the full range of patient healthcare needs, HRSA wants to assure that technical assistance and training are available to support those efforts.”

Over the past 10 years, the National Council has served as a critical source of information and field-tested resources for healthcare organizations, policymakers, and community stakeholders working to provide primary and mental healthcare across delivery systems. Clinical, organizational, collaborative, and financial tools for integrated care can be found on the National Council Resource Center for Primary Care and Behavioral Health Collaboration.

The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare represents more 1,700 safety net mental health and addiction treatment organizations. Collectively, these organizations serve 8 million low-income children and adults struggling with mental health and addiction disorders.  These individuals and their families confront addictions, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression — as well as chronic physical health conditions. National Council members offer intensive psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation services that allow adults with behavioral health disorders to live successfully in the community and allow children with emotional disturbances to live at home and to stay in school. Learn more at www.TheNationalCouncil.org.