Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD
FEATURED ARTICLE
State Policy Center for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment and Access
Federal Housing Policy Developments Could Affect State Health and Housing Programs
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Equity, Housing and Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Peggy BaileyPeggy Bailey is director of the Health Integration Project at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Amy Clary is a senior policy associate at NASHP. States use a range of policy levers to address the roughly 80 percent of factors affecting health that are outside the realm of clinical care, such as access […]
Q&A: To Shape an Effective Response to the Opioid Crisis in Texas, You Need to Ask ‘Will It Work in Odessa?’
/in Policy Texas Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Infant Mortality, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by NASHP WritersKaren Palombo is the substance use disorder (SUD) team lead in the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s mental health and substance use division who helps shape state intervention and treatment policies. Before joining state government, she worked in hospital, mental health, and SUD treatment settings for nine years as a licensed chemical dependency counselor. […]
Learn about Reasonable Accommodations Rules on NASHP’s Housing and Health Resource Page
/in Policy Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Health Equity, Housing and Health, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Chris KukkaProviding reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities in compliance with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing Act requirements is an important role for housing providers, and state leaders can help guide them through the process. NASHP recently added new resources exploring HUD’s reasonable accommodations requirements to its Housing and Health Resources for […]
How States Are Meeting the Needs of Children and Families Affected by the Opioid Epidemic
/in Policy Kentucky, New Hampshire, Virginia Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by Hannah Eichner and Becky NormileThe opioid epidemic is having a devastating impact on children and families and placing a significant strain on states as they work to develop effective programs and find new funding to respond to this crisis. To address the crisis and promote healthy child development, states are implementing innovative whole-family approaches to prevention and treatment (see […]
State Strategies to Meet the Needs of Young Children and Families Affected by the Opioid Crisis
/in Policy Kentucky, New Hampshire, Virginia Reports 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, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health /by Hannah Eichner, Becky Normile and Carrie HanlonThe opioid epidemic continues to have devastating consequences for children and families across the country, with growing social and financial implications for states. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), in partnership with the Alliance for Early Success, interviewed Kentucky, New Hampshire, and Virginia officials representing state Medicaid, child welfare, and behavioral health programs […]
Conference Presentations 2018
/in Policy Annual Conference, Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Blending and Braiding Funding, 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, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, HIV/AIDS, Housing and Health, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Long-Term Care, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, State Rx Legislative Action, Value-Based Purchasing /by NASHP StaffBelow is a full list of the Conference speaker presentations.
How States Address Social Determinants of Health in their Medicaid Contracts and Contract Guidance Documents
/in Policy Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington Charts Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Blending and Braiding Funding, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Health IT/Data, Healthy Child Development, Housing and Health, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health, Value-Based Purchasing /by Tina KartikaTo encourage investments in population health, states are increasingly using levers available in their managed care and value-based contracts to address social determinants of health, such as housing and employment. With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Academy for State Health Policy examined Medicaid contracts and contract guidance documents in 11 states […]
Three-Part Series: Improving Care for People Living with HIV: Opportunities for State Medicaid-Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Collaboration
/in Policy Illinois, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin Reports Administrative Actions, 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, HIV/AIDS, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Prescription Drug Pricing, Quality and Measurement, State Rx Legislative Action /by Lyndsay SanbornStates play critical roles in ensuring that people living with HIV (PLWH) have access to quality care through their Medicaid and Ryan White HIV/AIDS programs. PLWH can be among the most medically complex individuals covered by state health programs, and their care can cost five-times more than the average Medicaid beneficiary. Given limited resources, state […]
Fact and Figures: How Medicaid Covers Behavioral Health Treatment in Children
/in Policy Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, 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, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by Chris KukkaMedicaid pays a large share of treatment costs for children with behavioral health conditions. In 2011, more than 4 million children enrolled in Medicaid had a diagnosed behavioral health condition. The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) has developed an informational fact sheet summarizing Medicaid provisions that cover behavioral health treatment for children. The […]
Flurry of Bills Targeting the Opioid Epidemic’s Impact on Families Reach Congress
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Miara Handler and Carrie HanlonThe country’s opioid crisis has had a devastating effect on women, children, and families, and continues to strain state health, foster care, and social service agency budgets. A flurry of bills has recently been introduced in Congress to prevent or reduce the effects of the opioid crisis and many directly impact families and children. The […]


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