National Council for Behavioral Health

Nicholas Addison Thomas

Director of Content Marketing, National Council for Behavioral Health

When it comes to advancing behavioral health care, innovation is a key ingredient. Just ask Bernalillo County’s Department of Behavioral Health Services, the newest recipient of our Innovation at Work Award through our Awards of Excellence program. In this spotlight, Margarita Chavez-Sanchez, director of the department, highlights the important role innovation plays in community growth. […]

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Tom Hill

Senior Advisor for Practice Improvement, The National Council for Behavioral Health

Individuals returning to their communities following episodes of treatment or incarceration often find themselves navigating their recovery in recovery deserts: environments that have scant resources beyond 12-step meetings. In the past, the onus of blame has been placed on folks who have “failed” to remain abstinent. More and more, we are beginning to understand the […]

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Victor Armstrong, MSW

Vice President of Behavioral Health for Atrium Health, and a member of the National Council's Board of Directors

To me, Black History Month is an opportunity to rewrite and reclaim the narrative. History has always been recorded and recited from the perspective of the majority. That is neither right nor wrong, good nor bad – it simply “is.” For one month of the year, the nation’s focus is on the contributions of African […]

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Susie Huhn

National Council of Behavioral Health Board Member, and Secretary-Treasurer of CEO Casa de los Ninos

Alongside our Board of Directors, we recently launched Interest Groups to give our members the tools, knowledge and networks they need to accelerate their learning of – and impact on – various populations of interest. In this blog post, we highlight our new Children, Young Adults & Families group. I have been working for more […]

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Sara Coffey, D.O.

Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences

Creating environments where all children can thrive is critical to building a healthier and happier future. In this article, Sara Coffey, D.O., a member of the National Council’s Medical Directors Institute, shares her insights into childhood trauma and thoughts on support systems. More and more, we are learning about the significance of Adverse Childhood Experiences […]

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Rene Hurtado

Chief of Staff for Emergence Health Network

From July 23-25, the National Council’s Addressing Health Disparities Leadership Program visited Emergence Health Network, the mental health authority in El Paso, Texas, to explore the needs of local migrant families. In this special blog post, Rene Hurtado (pictured), chief of staff for Emergence Health Network, recounts the experience. The migrant experience in border communities […]

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Carl Clark, M.D.

President and CEO, Mental Health Center of Denver, Board Member, National Council for Behavioral Health

Serving on a nonprofit board of directors is an honor and a privilege. Done well, it’s also a fair amount of work. I should know. I have served on dozens of nonprofit boards throughout my career and as the president and CEO of the Mental Health Center of Denver, I’m answerable to my own board […]

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Nicholas Thomas

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), individuals with behavioral health needs may die decades earlier than those without, largely due to untreated and preventable physical, chronic illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Integrating primary and behavioral health care helps people with complex health conditions receive the comprehensive treatment […]

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Michael Carrone

Director, Health Transformation, National Council for Behavioral Health

The health care landscape is changing with unprecedented speed and organizations of all sizes are feeling the pressure to make the complex switch to value-based care. The National Council’s Practice Transformation Academy has already helped 20 organizations that were proactively preparing to transition to population health, risk and quality management and from volume-based care to […]

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Drew Lovejoy

, National Council for Behavioral Health

Four hundred behavioral and physical health providers, state officials and public health scientists gathered in Denver last week for the first annual National Cannabis Summit. Hosted by the National Council, Advocates for Human Potential and the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network, the summit took a unique view of cannabis legalization: what are the health benefits […]

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