Open AccessLessons From Maslow: Prioritizing Funding to Improve the Quality of Community Mental Health and Substance Use Services
Author(s) -
Rebecca E. Stewart,
David S. Mandell,
Rinad S. Beidas
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
psychiatric services
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.517
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1557-9700
pISSN - 1075-2730
DOI - 10.1176/appi.ps.202000209
Subject(s) - mental health , maslow's hierarchy of needs , quality (philosophy) , business , health care , substance use , public relations , psychology , nursing , medicine , political science , psychiatry , psychotherapist , philosophy , epistemology , law
Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are frequently proposed as an approach to close the quality chasm in behavioral health treatment, and many U.S. municipalities are investing in EBPs as a primary way to improve the quality of care delivered to individuals most in need. In this Open Forum, the authors argue that EBPs often cannot be successfully implemented because basic organizational needs are not met in the current fiscal environment. The authors summarize research that supports why EBPs, along with other approaches to improve quality, are likely to fail until there is adequate financing. They also propose a policy and research agenda to ameliorate and address the fiscal challenges inherent in community mental health and substance use services.