News

Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) Letter to Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Seema Verma on Making Telehealth Flexibilities Permanent

For many providers, the COVID-19 pandemic provided an unexpected opportunity to launch new telehealth services or further develop existing telehealth initiatives. Changes in state and federal telehealth regulations since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic have accommodated those changes. As a result, barriers to access have been largely eliminated and…

Statement from National Council for Mental Wellbeing President and CEO Chuck Ingoglia in Response to Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:Sophia MajlessiSophiaM@TheNationalCouncil.org(202) 621-1631According to news reports, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use (OAS) Elinore McCance-Katz, M.D., Ph.D., who leads the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), attended a White House Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, May 19 and warned her colleagues in the…

National Council and Qualifacts Partner to Understand the Role of Virtual Care on Behavioral Health Care Providers Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Rapid change of care delivery, reimbursement regulations and the spike in demand for mental health, addiction treatment services have had a broad impact on behavioral health care providersNashville, Tenn. May 8, 2020 — The National Council for Mental Wellbeing and Qualifacts, a leading EHR platform for Behavioral Health and…

National Council Statement on Allocation of CARES Act Funding to CCBHCs

On April 27, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced 166 awards for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) expansion grants.  The grant funding includes $200 million in annually appropriated funding in addition to $250 million in emergency COVID-19 funding for Fiscal Year 2020 as part of…

Behavioral Health Crisis in America Getting Worse as COVID-19 Forces Community Behavioral Health Care Organizations to Cut Back

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing Surveyed 880 Community Behavioral Health Care Organizations Across the Country. The Results Show Emergency Funding Needed to Keep their Doors OpenWASHINGTON, D.C. (April 16, 2020) – Community behavioral health organizations (CBHOs) treating mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) patients are in danger of…

Statement from National Council for Mental Wellbeing President and CEO Chuck Ingoglia on Teleconference with the White House

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:Sophia MajlessiSophiaM@TheNationalCouncil.org(202) 621-1631WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 10, 2020) – We had an exciting new opportunity this week to amplify the conversation about our nation’s behavioral health crisis and promote our important legislative agenda.The White House invited the National Council to participate in a conversation about mental health and…

$38.5 Billion Request to Congress for Emergency Funding to Avert Collapse of Behavioral Health Organizations Nationwide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:Sophia MajlessiSophiaM@TheNationalCouncil.org(202) 621-1631Washington, D.C. (April 7, 2020) – The National Council for Mental Wellbeing and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) have requested a $38.5 billion infusion of emergency funds for behavioral health organizations (BHOs) to avert a large-scale public health…

National Council for Mental Wellbeing Members Head to The Hill to Preserve Vital Mental Health and Addiction Bill Before It Expires

At March 11 Event, Advocates will Promote Extension and Expansion of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs)New Report Outlines Benefits of CCBHC Program for People, CommunitiesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact:Sophia MajlessiSophiaM@TheNationalCouncil.org(202) 621-1631Washington, D.C. (March 10) – Behavioral health care professionals from across the country will come together on Capitol Hill…

Massachusetts Attorney General Announces Agreements To Expand Access To Behavioral Health Services

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 4, 2020 – Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey last week announced an agreement between five health insurance companies and two companies that manage behavioral health coverage for insurers that will provide improved access to behavioral health services for more than one million residents in the state and…

Statement from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing on the Administration’s Decision to Transfer Funds from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in Response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 27, 2020 – National Council for Mental Wellbeing President and CEO Chuck Ingoglia today issued this statement in response to the Trump administration’s decision to transfer $4.9 million from substance use and mental health programs to fund its coronavirus response:“The quickest way to interrupt progress in the…