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- đź’°New funding, who dis?
đź’°New funding, who dis?
Money, money, money, money!
Happy Thursday, fam! Exciting news on the federal funding front. Earlier this week the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced additional funding for states to develop and transform Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) to address the country’s mental health crisis. These clinics provide crisis services that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and serve anyone who requests care regardless of ability to pay.
The latest $15 million in new grants comes in addition to nearly $300 million awarded in September for new and existing Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics to be awarded in the new year.
So what exactly is a CCBHC?
Great question. We’re still learning about them ourselves. According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic “is a specially-designated clinic that provides a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use services. The CCBHC model alleviates decades-old challenges that have led to a crisis in providing access to mental health and substance use care.”
These clinics are designed to meet a whole host of standards for states including ensuring access to integrated, evidence-based substance use disorder and mental health services, meeting stringent criteria regarding timeliness of access and staffing, and receiving funding to support the costs of expanding services.
How will funding vary state to state?
Well that sorta depends. Some states are well ahead of the curve. Michigan, for example, is unlikely to qualify for funding because the state already has 37 clinics, more per capita than any other state and received some of the initial $300 million in funding.
Indiana, on the other hand, has recently released its comprehensive report on the state of behavioral health care in Indiana and estimates that untreated mental illness is costing $4.2B annually. Part of the commission’s overall recommendation is to transition it’s current Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) system to the federally supported CCBHC model as these clinics have proven in other states to increase access, quality, and integration of care.
If you really want to nerd out, can read the full report from the Indiana Behavioral Health Commission here.
The people have spoken
This funding and effort come at a critical time in America as many continue to navigate the remaining grief of the pandemic, uncertainty of the economy, and so much more. A new Ipsos and NAMI poll recently found that the majority of Americans feel that improvements to the mental health care system are needed at the national level and are more likely to support candidates who are in favor of increasing access to mental health care.
If you more curious than ever about the state of mental health in America, Mental Health America (MHA) has rolled out their latest report aptly named “The State of Mental Health in America”. How does your state stack up?
Your mental health microdose
A new segment we like to call your mental health microdose - a small act that could potentially have a big impact on your overall mental wellbeing.
First up, taking a break from the news. NBC News (ironic, we know) reported on a recent research study looking at the effects of the 24 hour news cycle on mental health. The lead study author Dr. Joaquim Radua, a psychiatrist in Barcelona said "the best predictor for having lower anxiety and depressive symptoms," was to "avoid watching too much news." So give it a try this week and let us know how it goes.
And ICYMI
And here’s what else is going on.
Dr. Vivek Murthy swung by THE Ohio State to discuss mental health as a top priority for public health and young people.
In times of anxiety, depression, fear, and stress, how can companies create the psychological safety that employees need? McKinsey sets out to answer just that in their recent Five Fifty.
Mental health workers at Kaiser Permanente return to work this week after tentative agreement is reached. This comes after a 10 week strike, marking the longest mental health care worker strike in US history.
Tom Brady opens up about how he has used therapy to address his mental health in recent years.
That’s all for now. We’ll be back next week with more from thee world off In the meantime, if you love what you read, do us a favor and:
See you next week(ish)!
<3
the here fam
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