HHS funding to expand mental, behavioral health services
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to issue a $50 million funding opportunity announcement to help community health centers establish or expand behavioral health services for people living with mental illness, and drug and alcohol problems.
In its announcement, HHS said community health centers will be able to use these new funds, made available through the Affordable Care Act, to hire new mental health and substance use disorder professionals, add mental health and substance use disorder services, and employ team-based care models.
It is estimated these awards will support behavioral health expansion in approximately 200 existing health centers nationwide.
The Affordable Care Act expands mental health and substance use disorder benefits and parity protections for approximately 60 million Americans.
The president’s fiscal year 2014 budget includes a new $130 million initiative to help teachers recognize signs of mental illness in students and refer them to services, support innovative state-based programs to improve mental health outcomes for young people ages, and train 5,000 more mental health professionals.
The administration also launched www.mentalhealth.gov, a new website featuring easy-to-understand information about basic signs of mental health problems, how to talk about mental health and how to find help.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.