BH365

Rebecca Farley David

Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, National Council for Behavioral Health

“We hear stories of people in tears when they realize they can get help.” – CCBHC survey respondent Three years ago, we celebrated the passage of the Excellence in Mental Health Act demonstration, designed to expand Americans’ access to community-based addiction and mental health services. We hoped the initiative would provide sustainable footing to combat […]

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Tom Hill

Vice President, Addiction & Recovery

As we mark the 40th anniversary of the first nationwide Great American Smokeout this Thursday, November 16, we cannot forget that tobacco is the number one cause of preventable deaths in the United States and around the world. The statistics are startling: Cigarette smoking kills nearly half a million Americans each year ­– more than […]

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Jeannie Campbell

Executive Vice President, National Council for Behavioral Health

This week Americans are saying to our nation’s veterans, “Thank you for your service.” Families are placing flags on the graves of the fallen. Businesses are offering free car washes, haircuts and admission to parks and museums to active duty military, veterans and their families. But as a Navy veteran and mental health and addictions […]

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Jeannie Campbell

Executive Vice President, National Council for Behavioral Health

Opportunities multiply as they are seized. Sun Tzu Dear Colleagues and Friends: This year, we’ve been so busy seizing opportunities to ensure that health care is a right, not a privilege, we haven’t had a moment to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished. We’ve won numerous battles in a war that is far from over. […]

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Rashida Asante-Eccleston

Communication Associate, National Council for Behavioral Health

Denver is experiencing a crisis of homelessness. The homeless population in Colorado spiked 8 percent since 2013 and is estimated to be more than 3,300 people in Denver. As others debate the causes, the Mental Health Center of Denver is responding with a solution – a promising new approach – an apartment complex that integrates […]

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Katiri Zuluaga

Manager, State Initiatives

Improving access to medications that treat mental illness can save money and improve outcomes. In 2012, 60 percent of uninsured Americans with a chronic condition skipped medication due to cost. Thirty-seven percent of Medicare enrollees were concerned about drug costs and 20 percent delayed filling prescriptions or skipped doses to save money. Nonadherence to psychotropic […]

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Chuck Ingoglia

Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Practice Improvement

“The best medication at the best dose can never be effective if the patient does not take it.” According to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, less than half the patients prescribed medication to be taken for an extended period of time to treat persistent mental health problems like schizophrenia and […]

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Rashida Asante-Eccleston

Communications Associate

Most people with mental illness or substance use disorders do not receive treatment. How will we respond? How can we meet the challenges we face in a volatile health care environment? What does the future hold for mental health? These questions were the foundation of Tackling Mental Health Through Innovation, a series of panels and […]

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Dr. Anthony Hassan

CEO, Cohen Veterans Network

This post first ran on the Cohen Veterans Network and can be accessed here. On September 27 and 28, the second annual Cohen Veterans Care Summit will be taking place at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC. The Cohen Veterans Network is pleased to be a co-host and leader of numerous sessions this year at […]

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Chuck Ingoglia

Senior Vice President, Public Policy & Practice Improvement

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) is interested in developing and deploying an alternative payment model for people living with behavioral health conditions. To do this, they convened the Behavioral Health Payment and Care Delivery Innovation Summit. It is encouraging to see CMMI’s attention on this important issue. A model already exists that, […]

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