National Council for Behavioral Health

Ayla Colella

Director of Practice Improvement

A substantial portion of the prison population is not receiving treatment for mental health conditions, according to a study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Research also shows that 75 percent of incarcerated individuals have a substance use disorder and, due to a lack of health care coverage and inconsistent treatment services, are at […]

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Vitka Eisen, MSW, Ed.D.

President and CEO HealthRIGHT 360, Board Member, National Council for Behavioral Health

Beginning in 2011, with California’s state prison system overseen by the federal courts due to severe overcrowding, the state legislature and voters passed a series of laws to reduce sentencing severity for non-violent crimes, most notably drug-related offenses. As a result, fewer people faced felonies for crimes often associated with problematic substance use, like simple […]

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Mindy Klowden, MNM

Director of Training and Technical Assistance, National Council for Behavioral Health

The health care landscape is shifting from traditional fee-for-service models that incentivize volume of care toward value-based payment (VBP) models. VBP models create incentives for providers to improve health care quality and demonstrate better health outcomes at lower costs. Initially focused on physical health care, VBP models are becoming more prevalent in behavioral health, in […]

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Charles Ingoglia, MSW

President and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health

Do you remember the moment you realized that timely access to mental health and addictions services is important? It’s different for all of us. For some, it’s the first time you try to help a family member, a friend, a colleague or yourself navigate a mental health or addiction crisis. Unfortunately, many Americans discover that […]

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Susan Milstrey Wells

National Council for Behavioral Health

The American health care system is rapidly evolving, and mental health and substance use treatment providers are struggling to catch up. Value-based payments, performance-based contracting, population health management ­– it’s enough to make your head spin. The destination is still the same – providing affordable, accessible, science-based treatment and services for mental illnesses and substance […]

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Dana Lange

Project Coordinator, National Council for Behavioral Health

The question may seem simple: what motivates you to get out of bed each day? For many, the answer comes easily – whether it be family and friends, career or education, or simply just a good ol’ cup of hot coffee. For some – often those managing mental illness or addiction – the answer isn’t […]

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Joy Burwell

Director, Communications

You’ve seen a lot of numbers detailing the impacts of the health care repeal bill. It is easy to get caught up in the numbers, but it is important to remember those numbers represent people. People like Katie. Katie started taking pain pills in high school and soon found herself taking up to eight a […]

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Cheryl Sharp

Exclusive Consultant for Trauma Informed Care Initiatives, National Council for Behavioral Health

If we could access the services that today’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers offer, we would have spared from pain and anguish.

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Elizabeth Arend, MPH

Quality Improvement Advisor

Over the last month, the National Council held three webinars to shed some light on the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) and the sweeping reforms it makes to payments under Medicare Part B. The first webinar, “MACRA 101,” provided an overview of CMS’s proposed Quality Payment Program, which completely overhauls how […]

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Hannah Huntt

Manager, Communications Projects at National Council for Behavioral Health

Danny Smith, Director of Mental Health and Inmate Programs in the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, and Sherry Blyth, Director of Crisis Services at Austin Travis County Integral Care (ATCIC), have known each other for over ten years. However, despite their long-standing ties and the significant overlap in the populations their organizations serve, their professional relationship […]

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