The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) on Sept. 16 released a roadmap for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to integrate behavioral health into health care.
The roadmap implements the three pillars of the President’s Strategy to Address our National Mental Health Crisis, released in March 2022.
Strengthen System Capacity
To expand the supply and diversity of the behavioral health workforce and ensure the full continuum of behavioral health care is available, HHS will invest in infrastructure that supports behavioral health integration, such as workforce development, technology adoption, and quality measurement.
Investments include the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Minority Fellowship Program, the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and new billing codes for monthly care integration to incent integration of behavioral health workers into primary care settings.
Connect Americans to Care
To bridge the gap between services and people’s ability to get the care they need. HHS will reform behavioral health care financing arrangements to improve affordability and conduct outreach to engage high-risk communities.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will encourage interdisciplinary whole-person care by authorizing Medicaid coverage and reimbursement of interprofessional consultations, as well as testing payment models to support the delivery of whole-person care. Other investments will require action by Congress or State Medicaid agencies.
Support Americans by Creating Healthy Environments
Recognizing the importance of culture and environment in promotion, prevention, and recovery, HHS will expand the evidence base for effective promotion and prevention programs operating across diverse settings, translate the evidence into practice, and supporting it with financing.
Investments include prevention and intervention programs for schools, research funding opportunities to implement and sustain evidence-based programs in low-resource settings, and SAMHSA’s Resiliency in Communities After Stress and Trauma (ReCAST) program.
Contact Director of Policy Rob Nelb, MPH, at rnelb@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.
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