Alleviate Barriers To Access Evidence-Based Treatment for Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder

In response to the Senate Committee on Finance RFI on barriers to treatment, AAHD and the Lakeshore Foundation have submitted comments. AAHD & Lakeshore joined 8 national organizations led by No Health without Mental Health (NHMH). AAHD, a Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) member, joined 54 MHLG members submitting comments. The AAHD & Lakeshore letter addresses several issues not addressed by the MHLG – focusing on the need for effective integration for persons dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid; endorsing “bi-directional” behavioral health-general health-primary care integration; focusing on the particular and complex challenges faced by a variety of persons with co-occurring disabilities and chronic conditions; quality measurement approaches; and, “peer support” and “community health workers” as reinforcing community supports. The NHMH letter focuses on bi-directional integration.  Available here are the three letters – AAHD & Lakeshore; NHMH; and MHLG.