Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD
FEATURED ARTICLE
State Policy Center for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment and Access
How State Medicaid and Title V Partnerships Improve Care for Children with Special Health Care Needs in Medicaid Managed Care
/in Policy 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, 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, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by Hannah Eichner and Kate HonsbergerStates are increasingly utilizing Medicaid managed care (MMC) to serve children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), who often require a complex array of services. Many states are finding that forging partnerships between their MMC systems and Title V CYSHCN programs improves care coordination, transitions from pediatric to adult care systems, quality of […]
NASHP’s State SUD Policy Institute Supports States to Address SUD in Federally Qualified Health Centers
/in Policy Alabama, Illinois, South Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin 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 for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health /by NASHP WritersNASHP congratulates the five states selected to participate in NASHP’s State Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Policy Institute: Alabama Illinois South Dakota Virginia Wisconsin The State SUD Policy Institute, supported by a cooperative agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration, will assist these five state teams to develop innovative strategies to increase access to and […]
State Strategies to Advance Medical Homes for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
/in Policy Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health Coverage and Access, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home /by NASHP StaffMedical homes are critical components of comprehensive care systems for children and youth with special health needs (CYSHCN). They can reduce costs and improve outcomes and care experiences for CYSHCN and their families. This new report, State Strategies to Advance Medical Homes for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs, examines effective strategies used […]
Health Services Initiative Gives States Unique Tools to Improve the Health of Low-Income Children
/in Policy Arkansas, Delaware 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, Eligibility and Enrollment, EPSDT, Health Coverage and Access, Health Equity, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Population Health, Social Determinants of Health /by Olivia BaconWith federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) assured through 2027, states can consider using a portion of their CHIP dollars to improve the health of low-income children through innovative Health Services Initiative (HSI). HSIs provide states with a mechanism to use CHIP administrative dollars to fund a range of activities beyond just […]
How States Can Improve Access to Care for Children Under the Medicaid Managed Care Rule
/in Policy Colorado, Virginia 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, 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, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Quality and Measurement /by Kate HonsbergerNext month, states face new federal requirements for establishing and maintaining Medicaid managed care provider networks. As they work to comply with these new rules, states have an opportunity to strengthen access to care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). Medicaid and requirements, which address how enrollees access care and the […]
New Law Helps States Pay for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services with Federal Foster Care Funds
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, CHIP, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Eligibility and Enrollment, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Integrated for Pregnant/Parenting Women, Maternal Health and Mortality, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by Kate HonsbergerThe Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), passed as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act in February 2018, presents a new funding option for states to provide mental health and substance abuse services in order to prevent the placement of children in foster care. The number of children entering foster care has increased in recent […]
Oklahoma Uses Focus Groups to Identify Strategies to Better Serve Foster Care Youth
/in Policy Oklahoma 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, Health Coverage and Access, Health System Costs, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Primary Care/Patient-Centered/Health Home, Safety Net Providers and Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health, Workforce Capacity /by Anita Cardwell and Olivia BaconOklahoma uses focus groups to identify ways to improve treatment guidelines, communication, and medication monitoring for foster care youth enrolled in Medicaid. May is National Foster Care Month and for the fourth consecutive year the number of children in foster care nationwide has climbed, fueled in part by the opioid epidemic, according to the Adoption and […]
Ohio Implements Value-Based Payment Reform to Improve Population Health
/in Policy Ohio 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 IT/Data, Health System Costs, Medicaid Expansion, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health, Quality and Measurement, Social Determinants of Health, State Insurance Marketplaces, Value-Based Purchasing /by NASHP WritersGreg Moody, director of Ohio’s Office of Health Transformation, has quietly spearheaded one of the most effective redesigns of a state health care payment system in the country, generating cost savings and improving public health by showing providers how the cost and quality of their care compares with their peers. This value-based cost-savings and quality improvement […]
How Six States Use Medicaid Managed Care to Serve Children with Special Health Care Needs
/in Policy Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas, Virginia Charts, Reports Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Care Coordination, Children/Youth with Special Health Care Needs, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Eligibility and Enrollment, Healthy Child Development, Integrated Care for Children, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health, Medicaid Managed Care, Medicaid Managed Care, Physical and Behavioral Health Integration, Population Health /by NASHP WritersMedicaid managed care provides a unique opportunity for states to strengthen the structure and delivery of care for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), studied how six states (Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia) designed their managed care systems to serve CYSHCN and […]
Policymakers Weigh Patient-Centered Research on Care Models for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness
/in Policy Blogs Behavioral/Mental Health and SUD, Chronic and Complex Populations, Chronic Disease Prevention and Management, Cost, Payment, and Delivery Reform, Health System Costs, Population Health /by Olivia BaconMore than 10 million adults in the United States have serious mental illness (SMI) and 26 percent are covered by Medicaid. Today, states are investing in and creating new care delivery models to support these individuals, including behavioral health homes, and are employing a new health care workforce – peer navigators – to support these […]


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