Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD
FEATURED ARTICLE
State Policy Center for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment and Access
The State of States’ Health Policies: What Governors Highlighted in their 2019 Addresses
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Housing and Health, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, State Rx Legislative Action, Value-Based Purchasing /by Anita CardwellState of the state and inaugural speeches give governors the opportunity to highlight their recent policy successes and outline key plans and priorities for the coming year. These speeches are strong indicators of governors’ policy goals and often include proposals and funding recommendations for their legislatures. As a result of 2018 gubernatorial races in 36 […]
How Governors Addressed Health Care in their 2019 State of the State Addresses
/in Policy Charts Accountable Health, Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Housing and Health, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Lead Screening and Treatment, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Anita Cardwell and Sarah LanfordQ&A: How Connecticut Matched Its Medicaid and Homelessness Data to Improve Health through Housing
/in Policy Connecticut Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health IT/Data, Housing and Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Malka BerroStates working to improve the health of people experiencing homelessness can match their Medicaid data with Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS) data to track which populations are using housing services and which have the greatest unmet need. HMIS are databases that housing service providers and Continua of Care (CoCs) community and state agencies use to […]
States Use Policy Levers and Emerging Research to Address Antipsychotic Use in Children in Foster Care
/in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement /by Johanna Butler, Jennifer Reck and Maureen Hensley-QuinnState policymakers must often take action during an emerging crisis even when evidence identifying the best policy approach is not be available. This report, Evidence-Based Policymaking Is an Iterative Process: A Case Study of Antipsychotic Use among Children in the Foster Care System, explores successful state responses to dramatic increases in antipsychotic prescription rates in Medicaid-enrolled children […]
CMS Releases State Funding to Improve Integrated Care for Children and Pregnant and Postpartum Women Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by NASHP WritersLast week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released two highly anticipated initiatives — the Maternal Opioid Misuse (MOM) Model and the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) Model — which will provide multi-year funding to states to improve integrated care for maternal and child health populations enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health […]
Tackling the Opioid Crisis: What State Strategies Are Working?
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Coverage and Access, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by Kitty PuringtonAmong the many issues confronting new state governors and their administrations, the opioid crisis may be one of the most urgent and complex, and may leave the most devastating legacy. Opioids kill 130 Americans every day. For state policy makers, the ripple effect of the crisis reaches beyond health care systems to impact public safety […]
Fact Sheet Highlights Medicaid’s Critical Role in Screening for Maternal Depression
/in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health /by NASHP WritersDespite evidence that maternal depression is common and can impede the development of young children, it is often undiagnosed and untreated. Medicaid can play a leading role in identifying at-risk mothers and connecting them to treatment. NASHP’s new fact sheet provides background on maternal depression while also presenting a summary of state Medicaid policies for […]
For New Governors: Snapshot of Major Federal Opioid Funding by State
/in Policy Charts Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Equity, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by NASHP WritersThere has been significant federal investment made in recent years to address the opioid crisis in every state. This chart summarizes the key federal funding that has flowed to each state’s government agencies and other stakeholders to address the opioid crisis. Data featured in these charts represent grants from multiple federal agencies provided through specific […]
How Supported Employment Can Address Mental Health Inequities in Minority Populations: Five States’ Experiences
/in Policy Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Equity, Long-Term Care, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Malka Berro, Najeia Mention and Jill RosenthalSupported employment is used to help people with severe mental illness and other disabilities obtain and retain jobs. As states increasingly promote employment among public assistance recipients, could this model be expanded to new populations, including those with more common mental disorders or racial or ethnic groups who face health disparities? In this report, NASHP […]
Medicaid Managed Long-term Services and Supports Programs for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
/in Policy Webinars Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Long-Term Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration /by Erin KimTuesday, December 04, 2018 3-4 p.m. (ET) States are increasingly providing services to Medicaid beneficiaries with complex health care needs through managed care delivery systems to help control the cost of care, improve health outcomes of enrollees, and improve the quality of the care enrollees receive. States are also starting to include behavioral health and long-term […]


For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
























































































































































Understanding Opioid Settlement Spending Plans across States: Key Components and Approaches
/in Opioid Center, Policy Featured News Home, Reports Opioid Use Disorder /by Sam Mermin, Rebekah Falkner and Katie Greene