/ en Fri, 25 Apr 2025 22:49:33 -0500 Tue, 15 Apr 25 06:15:00 -0500 /2025-04-15-3-ways-ai-could-aid-behavioral-health-screenings <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/3-Ways-AI-Could-Aid-Behavioral-Health-Screenings.png" data-entity-uuid="2e87914e-4e41-4bf3-b5bc-6aeed9b0307f" data-entity-type="file" alt="3 Ways AI Could Aid Behavioral Health Screenings. A woman suffering from behavioral health issues is assisted by an artificial intelligence (AI) bot." width="1200" height="751"><p>Using artificial intelligence (AI) to supplement traditional behavioral health screenings is gaining momentum in primary care.</p><p>Some areas being explored include: predicting risks among adolescents that they could experience mental illness; reducing readmissions by screening patients and treating if they test positive for opioid-use disorder; and implementing AI therapy chatbots to supplement cognitive therapy.</p><p>The tools typically are designed to address common challenges providers face, such as improving efficiency and workforce shortages. And while many of these applications can extend access to care, they are not a replacement for providers. Here are several recent developments that caught our eye.</p><h2><span><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Brain.png" data-entity-uuid="e427e822-33d7-4e9b-a979-b438d55372ee" data-entity-type="file" alt="Predicting Risks, Potential Causes of Adolescent Mental Illness, Brain." width="75" height="98" class="align-left">1</span> <span>|</span> Predicting Risks, Potential Causes of Adolescent Mental Illness</h2><p>An <a href="https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/ai-model-predicts-risks-and-potential-causes-adolescent-mental-illness" target="_blank" title="Duke Health: AI Model Predicts Risks and Potential Causes of Adolescent Mental Illness">AI model</a>, developed by Duke Health researchers, accurately predicted when adolescents were at high risk for future serious mental health issues before symptoms become severe.</p><p>Unlike prior models that primarily rely on existing symptoms, the AI model identified underlying causes, such as sleep disturbances and family conflict, as indicators to prescribe preventive interventions. The capability to identify early warning signs and proactively intervene with prophylactic treatments could greatly expand access to mental health services, with assessments and care available through primary care providers, researchers said.</p><p>The AI model could be used in primary care settings, enabling pediatricians and other providers to know immediately whether the child in front of them is at high risk and empowering them to intervene before symptoms escalate, notes Jonathan Posner, M.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke and senior author of a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03560-7" target="_blank" title="Nature Medicine: Prediction of mental health risk in adolescents">study published recently in Nature Medicine</a>.</p><p>Posner and colleagues analyzed psychosocial and neurobiological factors associated with mental illness using data from an ongoing study that conducted psychosocial and brain development assessments of more than 11,000 children over five years.</p><p>Using AI, the researchers built a neural network — a model that mimics brain connections — to predict which children would transition from lower to higher psychiatric risk within a year. That model then is used to score a questionnaire that ranks responses from the patient or parent about current behaviors, feelings and symptoms, to predict the likelihood of an escalation.</p><h3>Takeaway</h3><p>The model was 84% accurate in identifying patients in the study whose illness escalated within the next year, the study found. Duke researchers analyzed an alternative model that identified the potential mechanisms that might lead to or trigger worsening mental illness. With an accuracy rate of 75%, the new modeling system’s ability to identify underlying causes can alert doctors and families to potential interventions, researchers conclude.</p><h2><span><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Opioids.png" data-entity-uuid="67dde24e-842c-45f8-8349-63c8a0f78794" data-entity-type="file" alt="Reducing Readmissions by Screening for Opioid-Use Disorder. Opioid pills and capsules." width="75" height="98" class="align-left">2</span> <span>|</span> Reducing Readmissions by Screening for Opioid-Use Disorder</h2><p>The National Institutes of Health April 3 released a <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/ai-screening-opioid-use-disorder-associated-fewer-hospital-readmissions" target="_blank" title="National Institutes of Health (NIH): AI screening for opioid use disorder associated with fewer hospital readmissions">study</a> that found that an AI intelligence screening tool was as effective as health care providers in identifying hospitalized adults at risk for opioid-use disorder and referring them to inpatient addiction specialists.</p><p>When compared with patients who received consultations with providers, patients screened by AI had 47% lower odds of hospital readmission within 30 days after their initial discharge, saving nearly $109,000 in care costs.</p><p>The study, published in Nature Medicine, reports the results of a completed clinical trial, demonstrating AI’s potential to affect patient outcomes in real-world health care settings. The study suggests that investment in AI may be a promising strategy specifically for health systems seeking to increase access to addiction treatment while improving efficiencies and saving costs.</p><p>The AI screener was built to recognize patterns in data, like how our brains process visual information. It analyzed information within all the documentation available in the electronic health records in real time, such as clinical notes and medical history, to identify features and patterns associated with opioid-use disorder. Upon identification, the system issued an alert to providers when they opened patients’ medical charts with recommendations to order addiction medicine consultation and to monitor and treat withdrawal symptoms.</p><h3>Takeaway</h3><p>The trial found that AI-prompted consultation was as effective as provider-initiated consultation, ensuring no decrease in quality while offering a more scalable and automated approach. Specifically, the study showed that 1.51% of hospitalized adults received an addiction medicine consultation when health care professionals used the AI screening tool, compared with 1.35% without the assistance of the AI tool. Additionally, the AI screener was associated with fewer 30-day readmissions, with approximately 8% of hospitalized adults in the AI screening group being readmitted to the hospital, compared with 14% in the traditional provider-led group.</p><h2><span><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Chatbot.png" data-entity-uuid="63b600b4-552e-4fe7-a435-766d68b69d71" data-entity-type="file" alt="Deploying AI Therapy Chatbots vs. Standard Cognitive Therapy. Chatbot." width="75" height="98" class="align-left">3</span> <span>|</span> Deploying AI Therapy Chatbots vs. Standard Cognitive Therapy</h2><p>Generative AI (GenAI) chatbots hold promise for building highly personalized, effective mental health treatments at scale, while also addressing user engagement and retention issues common among digital therapeutics, notes a recent <a href="https://ai.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/AIoa2400802" target="_blank" title="NEJM AI: Randomized Trial of a Generative AI Chatbot for Mental Health Treatment">NEJM AI study</a>.</p><p>The randomized-control trial study of Therabot by Dartmouth College researchers found “significantly greater reductions of symptoms” for major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and those at high risk for eating disorders.</p><p>Trial participants felt they could trust the therapy chatbot to a degree that was comparable to working with a real therapist, notes a press release from Dartmouth.</p><h3>Takeaway</h3><p>Fine-tuned GenAI chatbots offer a feasible approach to delivering personalized mental health interventions at scale, but further research with larger clinical samples is needed to confirm their effectiveness and generalizability, the study notes.</p><p>Michael Heinz, M.D., the study’s first author and an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Dartmouth College Center for Technology and Behavioral Health and the Geisel School of Medicine, said that “no generative AI agent is ready to operate fully autonomously in mental health.” He highlighted, “We still need to better understand and quantify the risks associated with generative AI used in mental health contexts.”</p><hr><h2>Learn More</h2><p>Visit the <a href="/advocacy/access-and-health-coverage/access-behavioral-health">AHA Behavioral Health website</a> to access a wealth of resources, including reports on child and adolescent mental health, rural behavioral health issues and more. Also, read the AHA Insights report <a href="/center/emerging-issues/market-insights/ai/building-and-implementing-artificial-intelligence-action-plan-health-care">“Building and Implementing an Artificial Intelligence Action Plan for Health Care”</a> for information on how AI can transform your operations.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" width="721" height="130" data-entity- type="file" class="align-center"></a></p><p><a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type alt width="360" height="300"></a></p></div></div></div>.field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } h2 { color: #9d2235; } h3 { color: #9d2235; } Tue, 15 Apr 2025 06:15:00 -0500 Behavioral Health Care Delivery /role-hospitals-new-behavioral-health-center-offers-walk-mental-health-services-lancaster-general-hospital <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-6"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-03/ths-penn-lancaster-behavioral-health-center-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Penn Lancaster. A female counselor holding a clibpoard and pen sits listening to a male patient" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>People in need of immediate help with mental health issues have a new option for treatment with the opening of the <a href="https://www.lancastergeneralhealth.org/services-and-treatments/behavioral-health" target="_blank">Behavioral Health Center</a> at Lancaster General Hospital. Its Crisis Walk-In Center provides immediate behavioral health assessments and treatment, serving as a bridge to ongoing care.</p><p>The Interventional Psychiatry Program focuses on psychiatric conditions that don't respond well to first-line treatments. The center is expected to serve 900 patients annually for interventional psychiatry and 10,000 patients through the walk-in center, both in-person and by phone.</p><p>Patients visiting the walk-in center are greeted by a certified peer support specialist and connected with a registered nurse for a physical health assessment. If needed, they receive immediate counseling and are referred to the next level of service or scheduled for another appointment.</p><p>The center provides appointments and medication for up to 30 days before referring patients to longer-term services, aiming to reduce the boarding of low-risk behavioral health patients in the emergency department.</p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/community-benefit">Benefiting Communities</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:04:32 -0500 Behavioral Health Care Delivery /role-hospitals-uvm-medical-center-mental-health-urgent-care-opens-vermont-addressing-critical-community-health-need <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-5"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-03/ths-uvm-mental-health-urgent-care-2-700x532.jpg" alt="UVM Medical Center. A female counselor in casual attire sits holding a tablet and listening intently to a female patient" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>When individuals experience mental health distress, many will visit a hospital emergency department — a setting that may not be ideal for someone experiencing acute mental health illness. To provide a safe alternative to the ED and help people before they experience a mental health crisis, University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vt., and several other organizations worked together to open the <a href="https://www.uvmhealth.org/medcenter/location/mental-health-urgent-care" target="_blank">Mental Health Urgent Care</a> in October 2024.</p><p>Developed by UVM Medical Center, Howard Center, Pathways Vermont, Community Health Centers and the Vermont Department of Mental Health, the Mental Health Urgent Care offers mental health services, peer support and help accessing follow-up services to guests — intentionally called “guests,” not patients or clients. The urgent care team emphasizes it is a calming, welcoming environment for those experiencing trauma or struggling with thoughts of suicide. An onsite nurse also is available to address basic physical health issues.</p><p>People don’t need to have a referral from a provider or make an appointment beforehand to access these services, and currently there are no financial requirements or costs as services are fully funded for three years. The only requirement is that guests must be 18 years or older.</p><p>The collaborating organizations say the Mental Health Urgent Care is a welcome development in addressing a pressing community health need. “When we were thinking through this project, we wanted to build something that somebody could go to when they start to feel a crisis coming on, before they get to the point where they can’t stand it any longer,” said Maureen Leahy, administrative director of UVM Health Network’s psychiatry service.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.uvmhealth.org/healthsource/we-dont-want-people-have-jump-through-any-hoops" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/center/population-health">Improving Health and Wellness</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Mon, 03 Mar 2025 13:40:53 -0600 Behavioral Health Care Delivery /news/headline/2025-02-27-foundation-recognizes-organizations-champions-well-being <p>The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation Feb. 26 <a href="https://drlornabreen.org/healthcare-community-makes-it-safer/">recognized</a> 43 licensure boards and 521 hospitals for changing invasive and stigmatizing mental health questions in their licensing applications. The 521 hospitals represent a 39% increase in organizations that have made such changes since September. There were also 34 state medical boards recognized, marking a 17% increase since September. </p> Thu, 27 Feb 2025 15:55:03 -0600 Behavioral Health Care Delivery <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><p>Behavioral health providers that are members of the ���������� Association add their voice and influence to the nation’s leading advocate for hospitals and health systems. The AHA provides its behavioral health members with valuable benefits, including <strong>advocacy, resources and initiatives designed to improve access to and strengthen the delivery of affordable, high-quality behavioral health care.</strong></p><h2><span>Advocacy</span></h2><p>We are working with Congress and the administration to enact policies to support behavioral health hospitals and service lines, and to solidify a policy environment that protects access to care, advances innovation and invests in behavioral health treatment.</p><h3><span>2024 Results</span></h3><h4><span>Legislation</span></h4><p>The AHA supports the <a href="/2024-11-12-aha-urges-congress-act-key-priorities-lame-duck-session" target="_blank"><strong>extension of Medicare telehealth programs</strong></a><strong> </strong>which have expanded access to care for patients and eliminates originating site restrictions. Congress included a 90-day extension of these flexibilities through March as part of a bill to fund the government passed at the end of 2024.</p><h4><span>Regulatory</span></h4><p>The Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Health and Human Services responded favorably to the AHA’s request to extend telehealth flexibilities, which <a href="/special-bulletin/2024-11-18-dea-and-hhs-extend-waivers-prescribing-controlled-substances-through-telemedicine" target="_blank"><strong>will waive an in-person visit requirement prior to the prescribing of controlled substances virtually</strong></a> through 2025.</p><h4><span>The Administration</span></h4><ul><li>The Departments of the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services issued a final rule in 2024 implementing AHA-supported amendments to existing standards <a href="/special-bulletin/2024-09-10-administration-finalizes-enhanced-mental-health-parity-regulations?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=bh-newsletter&mkt_tok=NzEwLVpMTC02NTEAAAGV8htmojsDNTwbod7zQq2dwKUPGI77ow9r7O2wAfG9sWn_1yy2QnT2LyJgiJg_Sj3aHa80ELdYu_N93tNiBNk2e9_FQgwY5_RnLpuKFb0XRKLTaA" target="_blank"><strong>that will support coverage parity</strong></a>, preventing insurance plans and issuers from placing greater limits on access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits as compared to medical and surgical benefits. </li><li>Following years of advocacy from the AHA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2024 finally <a href="/special-bulletin/2024-02-09-hhs-finalizes-changes-information-sharing-requirements-addiction-treatment" target="_blank"><strong>issued</strong></a><strong> modifications of provisions of the law that governs sharing of patient records regarding treatment for substance use disorder</strong>, aligning requirements with those already in effect under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). </li><li>Upon AHA’s <a href="/lettercomment/2024-01-05-aha-comments-cms-proposed-medicare-advantage-policies-2025" target="_blank"><strong>urging</strong></a>, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized provisions to address gaps in access to behavioral health services for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. </li><li>As a direct result of AHA advocacy, CMS <a href="/news/headline/2024-10-22-cms-releases-final-guidance-hospital-respiratory-data-condition-participation-reporting-requirements" download="file" target="_blank"><strong>updated</strong></a> guidance detailing reporting requirements for the hospital respiratory data collection condition of participation and will allow psychiatric hospitals to report this data annually as opposed to weekly</li></ul><hr><h2><span>Sharing Solutions & Innovations from the Field</span></h2><p>In addition to a daily news bulletin and advocacy alerts on key issues, AHA members receive the <a href="/bibliographylink-page/2017-12-11-behavioral-health-updates" target="_blank"><strong>Behavioral Health News Update</strong></a> – a monthly communication on recent behavioral health advocacy initiatives, resources and educational offerings.</p><p> </p><h4><span>Grant-Supported Work</span></h4><p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded several grants to the AHA to support work in behavioral health, including a <a href="/suicideprevention/health-care-workforce" target="_blank"><strong>program to address health care worker suicide</strong></a>, and hospital and health system initiatives to address opioid and stimulant use disorder along with infection prevention and control.</p><h4><span>Health Care Worker Well-Being</span></h4><p>A wealth of resources on <a href="/physician-alliance-be-well" target="_blank"><strong>building and sustaining</strong></a> health care worker well-being programs are frequently being updated and shared with the field including <a href="/be-well-case-studies" target="_blank"><strong>case studies</strong></a> and podcasts. Information on a health system’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU1dwaAzh1E" target="_blank"><strong>peer support program</strong></a> and commentary on the importance of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahEZfOS-4mk" target="_blank"><strong>stigma reduction</strong></a>among health care workers suffering from mental health challenges are among content recently released to the field.</p><p><span>AHA’s website for Behavioral Health is regularly updated with information and resources. These include:</span></p><ul><li><a href="/aha-search?search_api_fulltext=behavioral%20health&f%5B0%5D=type%3A5705" target="_blank"><strong>Podcasts </strong></a>featuring conversations with behavioral health professionals on innovations and solutions to challenges. </li><li><a href="/system/files/media/file/2024/12/integrating-physical-behavioral-resources-2024%20final.pdf" target="_blank"><strong>Insights on integrating behavioral health</strong></a> with physical care, including a new <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv7-sxVKmzU" target="_blank"><strong>educational video</strong></a> aimed at trustees. </li><li>Best practices to <a href="/behavioral-health-community-partnerships" target="_blank"><strong>improve access to behavioral health care through community partnerships</strong></a>. Resources include an assessment checklist and an evidence-informed summary of effective partnerships. </li><li>Centralized resources to address the challenges of<a href="/child-and-adolescent-mental-health" target="_blank"><strong>youth</strong></a> and <a href="/maternal-mental-health" target="_blank"><strong>maternal</strong></a> behavioral health service delivery. </li><li>AHA’s <a href="/people-matter-words-matter" target="_blank"><strong>People Matter, Words Matter</strong></a> initiative – helping to reduce the stigma of mental health and addiction conditions and treatment, one word, one person at a time. </li><li>An AHA members-only <a href="https://membercommunity.aha.org/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=d8e79990-e8f4-4402-9239-e511752bab7b" target="_blank"><strong>professional online network</strong></a> for behavioral health leaders. </li><li>Curated resources to enhance your organization’s participation in <a href="/mental-health-awareness-month" target="_blank"><strong>Mental Health Awareness Month.</strong></a></li></ul><p> </p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/02/2025_WeareAHA_Behavioral_Health_Final.pdf" target="_blank"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-02/weareaha-bh-2025-cover.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="We are AHA Behavioral Health Cover." width="691" height="893"></a></p></div></div></div> Wed, 26 Feb 2025 12:20:53 -0600 Behavioral Health Care Delivery /role-hospitals-advancing-empathy-ai-vanderbilt-tackles-chatbot-safety-mental-health <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="col-md-6"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-01/ths-vanderbilt-ai-chatbot-700x532.jpg" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type="file" alt="Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Stock composite image of hands typing on laptop with medical holograph superimposed above" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>Artificial intelligence has become a valuable part of many areas of health care. A team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is setting out on a <a href="https://news.vumc.org/2024/09/23/new-evaluation-system-to-render-ai-chatbots-safe-empathetic/" target="_blank">two-year project</a> that aims to make AI chatbots more effective — and more empathetic — when part of behavioral health care treatment.</p><p>The project will focus on major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. “From a safety and reliability standpoint, these chatbots pose a number of lingering challenges and unresolved questions,” said Susannah Rose, associate professor of biomedical informatics and the principal investigator for the project. By combining human expertise with computational techniques, the team hopes to create a chatbot that can detect hallucinations, omissions and misaligned values. The end goal is for the chatbot to be able to provide AI-generated responses that adapt to diverse populations, thereby becoming more empathetic to the patients it will serve.</p><p>“By incorporating community members, patients and clinicians throughout the process, we aim to create a system that not only improves technical accuracy but also aligns with users’ diverse values and expectations,” Rose said.</p></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/topics/innovation">Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Tue, 07 Jan 2025 15:53:39 -0600 Behavioral Health Care Delivery /news/headline/2024-12-18-cms-announces-state-participants-innovative-behavioral-health-model <p>The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today <a href="https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/innovation-behavioral-health-ibh-model" title="ibh model">announced</a> Michigan, New York, Oklahoma and South Carolina state Medicaid agencies were selected to participate in its state-based Innovation in Behavioral Health Model. The eight-year IBH Model is intended to improve care quality and behavioral and physical health outcomes for Medicare- and Medicaid-enrolled adults with moderate to severe mental health conditions and substance use disorders. The pre-implementation period will begin Jan. 1, 2025, when states will begin to conduct outreach and recruit specialty behavioral health practices to participate in the model.</p> Wed, 18 Dec 2024 15:53:49 -0600 Behavioral Health Care Delivery /news/headline/2024-12-18-ahas-committee-behavioral-health-names-2025-chair-chair-elect-and-new-members <p>The AHA's Committee on Behavioral Health today announced its chair, chair-elect and new members for 2025. The officers are:</p><ul><li>Zelia Baugh, executive vice president, behavioral health, JPS Health Network,  committee chair. </li><li>Mary Marran, president and COO, Butler Hospital and chief administrative officer, Care New England, chair-elect. </li><li>Jill Howard, R.N., senior consultant, Sheppard Pratt Solutions, past chair. </li></ul><p> <br>Joining the committee as new members are:</p><ul><li>Paul Rains, R.N., president, St. Joseph’s Behavioral Health Center and system senior vice president of behavioral health, Common Spirit. </li><li>Scott Nygaard, M.D., former chief operating officer, Lee Health. </li><li>Marlene Martin, M.D., director, addiction care team, University of California San Francisco Medical center; director, addiction initiatives, UCSF Latinx Center of Excellence; and associate professor of clinical medicine, UCSF.   </li></ul><p> <br>Reappointed to another three-year term is:</p><ul><li>Amanda Klahr, R.N., nursing director, inpatient behavioral health services, Denver Health </li></ul><p><br>The committee advises AHA on policy and advocacy and provides a forum for strategic discussion of issues important to behavioral health providers and the field. Learn more about AHA’s work on <a href="/advocacy/access-and-health-coverage/access-behavioral-health?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=aha-today" title="behavioral health">behavioral health</a>. </p> Wed, 18 Dec 2024 13:14:01 -0600 Behavioral Health Care Delivery /news/headline/2024-12-09-aha-podcast-gift-time-how-behavioral-health-integration-giving-back-workforce <p>In this conversation, Dylan Panuska, clinical psychologist and manager of behavioral health integration with Endeavor Health, showcases examples of how workforce productivity, retention and patient satisfaction are positively impacted by a key factor: integration. <a href="/advancing-health-podcast/2024-12-09-gift-time-how-behavioral-health-integration-giving-back-workforce" target="_blank">LISTEN NOW</a>.</p><div></div> Mon, 09 Dec 2024 16:30:32 -0600 Behavioral Health Care Delivery /role-hospitals-hartford-healthcare-focuses-radical-recovery-reimagine-behavioral-health-care <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-5"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2024-11/ths-hartford-institute-for-lining-700x532.jpg" alt="Stock image of people sitting together - close-up of hands" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>Since opening its doors in 1824, Hartford HealthCare’s Institute of Living has prioritized providing quality care and “moral treatment” to patients and families. The institute’s team is now introducing the concept of “radical recovery” as it works to reshape behavioral health care.</p><p>Radical recovery means ensuring behavioral health care is “far less coercive and much more community centered,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjNtYewg4e8" target="_blank">explains Juveed Sukhera, M.D.</a>, chair of psychiatry at the Institute of Living and chief of psychiatry at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut. “Radical recovery is built on a foundation of codesigning care, enhancing choice and embracing the healing power of community,” <a href="https://instituteofliving.org/about-us" target="_blank">he says</a>.</p><p>This concept encompasses three principles supported by 10 strategic goals:</p><ul><li>Integration — integrating care to improve access; integrating clinical, education and research missions; integrating medical and recovery-based models.</li><li>Liberation — codesigning care with patients, families and community; reducing coercive practices; advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; promoting staff well-being and growth.</li><li>Innovation — integrating data and technology in the work; promoting knowledge mobilization and storytelling; advancing innovations in real-time care.</li></ul><p>The Institute of Living offers a wide range of <a href="https://instituteofliving.org/programs-services" target="_blank">behavioral health services</a>, education and training, and conducts research on behavioral health issues including anxiety disorders, racial trauma and community healing. Care teams include people who have lived experience (or have family members with lived experience) and are certified as recovery support specialists.</p><p>One of the first mental health centers in the U.S. and the first hospital of any kind in Connecticut, the institute sees radical recovery as continuing its focus on providing quality care and moving from coping and symptom control to healing — and helping people heal before they experience a crisis.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://instituteofliving.org/about-us/radical-recovery">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/center/population-health">Improving Health and Wellness</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Fri, 22 Nov 2024 17:03:55 -0600 Behavioral Health Care Delivery