Access programs – which support primary care providers to deliver behavioral healthcare through education, training, and specialty peer-to-peer psychiatric consultations – are being implemented in nearly every state in the nation to provide accessible behavioral healthcare amidst a scarcity of providers and resources.
By expanding access to scarce behavioral health resources, access programs ensure that essential specialty care can be delivered to vulnerable groups that need it most urgently. This expansion not only improves accessibility but also helps limit the burden on an already overstretched system of behavioral health providers. It may also represent a cost saving to governments, allowing specialty-level care to be administered by less costly primary care providers within the health system.
Recently, Trayt leaders shared their perspectives on the importance and impact of access programs and how healthcare leaders and policymakers should leverage this type of program to improve health outcomes in their states.
Adolescent Substance Use Treatment: How Can We Expand Access and Support PCPs?
Searching for a residential treatment program or facility for adolescents often requires diligence, patience, and a substantial financial investment. Costs are a major barrier for many patients, families, and caregivers – especially those who are already underserved by mental health and behavioral health resources.
In Psychiatry Advisor, Dr. Jesse Schnall and Dr. Carl Feinstein explore alternative models which may be essential to expand care access and support earlier intervention for OUD (opioid use disorder) and SUDs (substance use disorders).
Required: A Commitment to Funding State Child Psychiatry Access Programs
In MedCity News, Dr. Jesse Schnall finds that many access programs rely on time-limited federal or state grants for operations, stable, recurring funding is essential. Far fewer have access to stable, recurring funding through alternate sources. For state access programs to continue expanding access to care throughout states and communities, federal and state governments must commit ongoing resources to their sustainability and growth.