Open AccessTransforming Mental Health And Addiction Services
Author(s) -
Margarita Alegrı́a,
Richard G. Frank,
Helena Hansen,
Joshua M. Sharfstein,
Ruth Shim,
Matt Tierney
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
health affairs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.837
H-Index - 178
eISSN - 2694-233X
pISSN - 0278-2715
DOI - 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01472
Subject(s) - mental health , workforce , addiction , accountability , health care , context (archaeology) , mental illness , health policy , public relations , psychology , business , medicine , nursing , public health , political science , psychiatry , paleontology , law , biology
Even with great advances in behavioral health policy in the last decade, the problems of mental illness and addiction persist in the United States-so more needs to be done. In this article, which is part of the National Academy of Medicine's Vital Directions for Health and Health Care: Priorities for 2021 initiative, we describe the steps needed to improve outcomes, focusing on three strategies. We argue for transforming the behavioral health system to meet people where they are, decriminalizing mental illness and substance use disorders to facilitate recovery, and raising awareness of social context and social needs as essential to effective care. We call for supporting structures in the workforce and structures of accountability, outcome measurement, and more generous financing of behavioral health care. These steps have costs, but the enormous benefits of a major transformation in behavioral health policy far outweigh the expenses.