SAMHSA Offers Guidance and Forms for Medicaid/CHIP Provider Relief Fund Payments

HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is providing guidance, instructions, and application forms after HHS announced this week it will distribute $15 billion to eligible Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) providers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

HHS said the payment to each provider will be at least 2% of reported gross revenue from patient care. The department also said the final amount each provider receives will be determined after the data is submitted, including information about the number of Medicaid patients providers serve.

According to SAMHSA, before applying to the enhanced provider relief portal, applicants should read the Medicaid provider distribution instructions and download the Medicaid provider distribution application form.

Independent Task Force Recommends Screening All Adults for Unhealthy Drug Use

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) this week recommended that all adults 18 and older be screened regularly for unhealthy drug use, which is defined as using illegal drugs or taking medications not specified for a medical reason.

Previously the agency did not issue a recommendation on the subject, saying there was insufficient evidence to suggest regular screening. This new guidance follows a review of studies that evaluated the sensitivity of screening tools—most of which were moderately or highly accurate in identifying unhealthy drug use.

Established in 1984, USPSTF is an independent, volunteer panel of national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine. The group works to improve the health of all Americans by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services such as screening, counseling services, and preventive medications. The task force’s views are not meant to be construed as those of HHS or HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

AHRQ Requests Information on Older Adult Opioid Use and Misuse in Primary Care Settings

AHRQ this week issued a notice requesting public comments on identifying and testing strategies for management of opioid use and misuse in older adults in primary care practices.

According to the notice, this project is meant to assess and describe the current prevalence, awareness, and management of opioid use, misuse, and abuse in older adults, and identify the gaps and areas of needed research.

“Additionally, this project will support primary care practices in developing and testing innovative strategies, approaches, and/or tools for opioid management within the context of facilitated learning collaboratives, culminating in a compendium of strategies for opioid management in older adults in primary care settings,” the notice said.

Click here to learn more about the project and how to submit comments within 60 days of the June 8 notice.

ONDCP to Launch Rural Community Toolbox Website on June 24

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and senior Trump Administration officials will virtually launch the Rural Community Toolbox website, a resource for rural communities affected by addiction, on Wednesday, June 24.

The Rural Community Toolbox is intended to serve as a clearinghouse for funding and resources in more than a dozen different federal agencies to help rural leaders build healthy, drug-free communities.

Click here for more information when it becomes available and to register for the virtual launch, which will begin at 3 p.m. ET.

NABH President and CEO Shawn Coughlin Participates in Project Wake Up Panel Discussion

NABH President and CEO Shawn Coughlin was one of seven panelists to participate in an in-depth panel discussion about mental health stigma and suicide in America.

Project Wake Up led the June 11 panel as a follow-up to the world premiere last week of Wake Up, a documentary about suicide, ending mental health stigma, and making sure people who need treatment receive it.

Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.), Craig Bryan, Psy.D. of the Ohio State University’s psychology department, Morissa Henn of InterMountain Healthcare, and Michael Zibilich, whose son died by suicide in 2012, were among the other panelists.

Fact of the Week

Buprenorphine treatment rates by primary care providers increased from 12.9 people per 10,000 population in 2010 to 27.4 in 2018.

For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.

Psych Hub Releases Race, Racism & Mental Health Resources During Week of Protests

Mental health educational platform Psych Hub released Race, Racism, & Mental Health Resources for individuals and communities amid a week of national and global protests against racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd.

Psych Hub compiled the list of resources on antiracism and Black mental health that includes links to organizations, online resources, books, and social media. “Experiencing and witnessing racism in any of its forms has traumatic effects that can build up with time and repetition,” the resources page noted.

Also this week, NABH President and CEO Shawn Coughlin made a statement on Twitter and LinkedIn that included a link to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) behavioral health equity page.

“Racism and all acts of discrimination cause suffering, fear, anxiety, and depression,” Coughlin said. “We must advocate for behavioral health equity: the right to access quality healthcare for all populations, regardless of a person’s race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, or geographical location.”

NABH joined Psych Hub as a partner this year.

NABH Sends CMS Recommendations on Additional CoP

NABH this week sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlining the association’s concerns with additional conditions of participation (CoP) for behavioral healthcare providers and recommendations to provide some regulatory relief. The letter also urged continued expanded coverage of behavioral healthcare services via telehealth.

“The additional Conditions of Participations (CoP) for psychiatric hospitals and accompanying sub-regulatory guidance in the State Operations Manual (known as the B-tags) impose more than $625 million in additional costs annually, according to a recent study,” NABH President and CEO Shawn Coughlin wrote in the letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “The Covid-19 pandemic has added to the strain on these facilities with additional financial losses and unexpected costs, including those related to greatly increased personal protective equipment, screening everyone coming into the facility, additional staffing needs for screening, and other infection control measures, including isolation rooms and units, software and hardware purchases to facilitate telework for administrative staff and telehealth for patients, and lost revenue due to decreased patient volume because of infection concerns and reduced referrals,” he added.

NABH’s Covid-19 task force contributed to and reviewed the final letter, which is available on the association’s homepage and Covid-19 resources page.

HRSA Awards $20.3 Million to Expand Addiction Workforce in Underserved Communities

HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) this week announced it awarded $20.3 million to 44 recipients to increase the number of fellows at accredited addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry fellowship programs.

HRSA’s Addiction Medicine Fellowship program is part of the agency’s effort to fight the nation’s ongoing opioid crisis. The awardees will train addiction specialists at facilities in high-need communities that integrate behavioral and primary care services.

“The need for physicians with the expertise and skills to provide substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services is essential,” HRSA Administrator Tom Engels said in a news release. “Addiction specialists can respond to patients’ specific behavioral health needs and help communities that are hit hardest by the opioid epidemic.”

Click here to view the list of award recipients.

Health Affairs Study Explores OUD Treatment of Commercially Insured Adults

A research article published in the journal Health Affairs this week explored treatment provided to people with opioid use disorder (OUD), rather than efforts to reduce prescriptions and misuse.

Analyzing claims data representing 12 million to 15 million nonelderly adults covered through commercial group insurance during the period 2008-2017, researchers examined rates of OUD diagnoses, treatment patterns, and spending, and they identified three essential patterns.

“The rate of diagnosed OUD nearly doubled during 2008-19, and the distribution has shifted toward older age groups; the likelihood that diagnosed patients will receive any treatment has declined, particularly among those ages 45 and older, because of a reduction in the use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and despite clinical evidence demonstrating its efficacy; and treatment spending is lower for patients who chose MAT,” the article noted.

The researchers noted these patterns suggest that policies supporting MAT use are “critical to addressing the undertreatment of OUD among the commercially insured” and that additional research is needed.

JAMA Commentary Examines Treating Patients with OUD in Their Homes

A late May commentary in JAMA examined an emerging treatment model for OUD in recent years that uses telehealth to provide medication treatment to patients in their homes.

The article notes that about 50,000 deaths from OUD overdose occur each year in the United States, and the prevalence of heroin use is increasing. And while more than 2 million people with an OUD need treatment and a rising number of individuals are receiving treatment, still less than 20% receive effective medications such as buprenorphine.

According to researchers, some telehealth companies have advertised the convenience of their model in leveraging telehealth services for OUD treatment. Meanwhile, the article suggests another potential benefit.

“By minimizing the need to travel and increasing privacy for patients who may not want to be seen seeking care,” the article noted, “these programs also could address the access challenges that are especially problematic for underserved patients.”

NABH System Members: Please Submit Your Annual Dues!

NABH thanks its members for the excellent work they do each day to advance NABH’s mission, most especially during this unprecedented, difficult time in our nation’s history. Our mission has never been more important than it is today.

This is a reminder to all NABH system members to please submit their annual dues payments if they have not done so already. NABH members’ active involvement and prompt payment are critical in helping our association achieve its vision and ensure that NABH remains the leading advocate for our nation’s behavioral healthcare providers.

As we continue to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic together, we want to be sure you receive information about the work we do and the resources we provide. Please visit our website at www.nabh.org and follow us on Twitter (@NABHbehavioral), LinkedIn, and YouTube. Also, please be sure to visit our Covid-19 webpage for important guidance, external links, and other resources.

Please contact NABH Director of Operations Maria Merlie if you have questions about your organization’s dues payment.

Fact of the Week

More than 88,000 additional people have developed anxiety or depression due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new data from Mental Health America’s online screening program.

For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.

HHS Extends Compliance Deadline for Providers to Receive Covid-19 Relief Funds

HHS late last week announced a 45-day, compliance deadline extension for healthcare providers who receive payments from the Provider Relief Fund to accept the department’s required terms and conditions.

The extension means HHS has granted providers a total of 90 days from the time they receive payments—made available through the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act— until the time they accept the department’s terms and conditions. If providers do not meet the terms and conditions, they must return the funds.

Visit HHS’ Provider Relief Fund webpage for more information.

The Joint Commission to Resume Surveys Next Month

The Joint Commission said this week it will resume regular surveys and reviews in June and will contact organizations due for a survey to assess the effects the coronavirus has had on their operations.

The Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based accrediting organization said it is reviewing a variety of factors and criteria to determine which organizations will be surveyed—including identifying and prioritizing low-risk areas.

In its announcement, The Joint Commission said the survey process will include changes to protect safety. For instance, the surveys will limit the number of individuals in group sessions and minimize the number of people who accompany the surveyor on tracer activities. In addition, using masks will be a routine practice, and The Joint Commission said it expects “the organization to provide masks and/or other personal protective equipment to surveyors and reviewers while on-site.”

“Our survey will focus on a thorough assessment but will not retroactively review compliance,” the announcement said. “The implementation of an organization’s emergency operations plan will not be the focus of return survey activity considering the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) waivers and other extensions,” it continued. “Rather, we will work to understand how you have adapted to the pandemic and review your current practices to assure you are providing safe care and working in a safe environment.”

Click here to view The Joint Commission’s resources for healthcare staff fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

Recording of HHS’ Webinar on Ensuring Safety During Covid-19 Available Next Week

HHS’ Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE) will host a webinar on Tuesday, June 2 featuring how healthcare providers in the field have planned and implemented operational changes during Covid-19.

Registration for the 90-minute webinar is full, so HHS announced that a recording will be available 24 hours after the event.

The webinar will include officials from HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), as well as leaders from health systems in Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington, D.C.

ONDCP Director to Lead Stakeholder Call Next Week on Supporting SUD Care in Rural America

James Carroll, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and other senior agency officials will host a rural stakeholder call on Tuesday, June 2 at 3 p.m. ET to discuss the changes that have been made to increase access to substance use disorder (SUD) care in rural America during the global pandemic.

Leaders from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Agriculture, and other organizations will serve as speakers during the hourlong call.

Click here to learn more and to register, as space is limited.

AHRQ to Host Webinar on the Role of Telehealth in Increasing Access to Care on June 9

HHS’ AHRQ will host a 90-minute webinar on Tuesday, June 9 to highlight how telehealth can increase access to care and improve healthcare quality.

Presenters—including a clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California at Davis—will discuss their work on the effectiveness of telepsychiatry, the effect of telemedicine on chronic disease management, and the facilitators and barriers to adopting urban telemedicine.

Click here to learn more and to register.

Fact of the Week

A joint Census Bureau-National Center for Health Statistics survey during Covid-19 global pandemic found that 24% of Americans are showing clinically significant symptoms of major depressive disorder and 30% are showing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.

For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.

Healthcare Providers Must Act by June 3 to Receive Additional Relief Fund Payment

Eligible healthcare providers have until Wednesday, June 3 to submit their revenue information and accept all terms and conditions to receive an additional payment from the Provider Relief Fund’s $50 billion general distribution, HHS said this week.

HHS’ notice said all providers who automatically received an additional general distribution payment before Friday, April 24 must provide HHS with “an accounting of their annual revenues by submitting tax forms or financial statements.” Providers must also agree to program terms and conditions if they want to keep the funds.

The CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act provide $175 billion in relief funds to hospitals and other healthcare providers during the Covid-19 global pandemic. Previously HHS said $50 billion of the Provider Relief Fund was allocated for general distribution to facilities and providers who bill Medicare and were affected by Covid-19, based on providers’ net revenue. Of that funding, $30 billion was distributed immediately, proportionate to providers’ share of Medicare fee-for-services reimbursements in 2019. Then HHS began distributing an additional $20 billion on April 24.
 
According to HHS, every healthcare provider who has provided treatment for uninsured Covid-19 patients on or after Feb. 4 can request claims reimbursement through HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration portal and will be reimbursed at Medicare rates, subject to available funding.

The required steps include enrolling as a provider participant, checking patient eligibility and benefits, submitting patient information, submitting claims, and receiving payment via direct deposit.

Click here for more information.

GAO Recommends CMS Include Detailed Information About SUD Coverage in “Medicare & You”

A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report recommends the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) include “explicit information” on the services Medicare covers for beneficiaries with substance use disorders (SUDs) in the agency’s Medicare & You publication.

The GAO’s analysis of Medicare claims data in 2018 shows that almost 5 million beneficiaries used services for behavioral health services, which represented about 14% of the more than 36 million fee-for-services Medicare beneficiaries. About 96% of all behavioral health services accessed in 2018 (the year for which the latest data are available) were for a primary diagnosis in one of the following five behavioral health disorder categories: mood disorders (42%), anxiety and stress-related disorders (22%), schizophrenia and other non-mood, psychotic disorders (15%), disorders due to known physiological conditions (10%), and SUDs (7%).

For this study, researchers also examined how CMS provides information to Medicare beneficiaries about coverage for behavioral health services. In doing so, they learned CMS mails Medicare & You—the most widely disseminated source of information on Medicare benefits—to all Medicare beneficiaries every year.

“GAO reviewed the fall 2019 and January 2020 editions of Medicare & You,” the study noted. “While the January 2020 edition describes a new coverage benefit for beneficiaries with opioid use disorders, neither edition includes an explicit and broader description of the covered services available for substance use disorders,” it continued. “Both HHS and CMS have stated that addressing substance use disorders is a top priority. Given that coverage for substance use disorders is not explicitly outlined in Medicare’s most widely disseminated communication, Medicare beneficiaries may be unaware of this coverage and may not seek needed treatment as a result.”

This finding led the GAO to recommend that CMS include “explicit information” on SUD coverage. “HHS reviewed a draft of this report,” the GAO study said, “and concurred with the recommendation.”

Mental Health Survey Analysis Shows How People Worldwide Respond to Depression Treatment

A new JAMA study shows that of more than 80,000 respondents surveyed in 16 countries, 68.2% of adults with a lifetime history of major depressive disorder obtained treatment they considered helpful. The findings showed that other patients stopped seeking treatment after early unhelpful treatment.

Meanwhile, the findings showed that most patients (93.9%) were helped if they persisted through 10 treatment professionals, but only 21.5% of patients were that persistent. This led researchers to conclude “many more patients with major depressive disorder might obtain helpful treatment if they persist after early unhelpful treatment.”

SAMHSA Covid-19 Emergency Response for Suicide Prevention Grant Applications Due Today

The deadline to apply for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Covid-19 Emergency Response for Suicide Prevention (Covid-19 ERSP) grants is today, Friday, May 22.

The agency said it plans to issue 50 Covid-19 ERSP grants of up to $800,000 per year for 16 months for the program that is meant to support states and communities to prevent suicide and suicide attempts among adults 25 and older during the pandemic.

SAMHSA’s announcement noted there are currently 57.8 million Americans living with mental and/or substance use disorders and suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States.

“The current national Covid-19 crisis will certainly contribute to the growth in the number of Americans needing urgent care to address mental health needs, including suicidality,” the announcement said. “Americans across the country will struggle with increases in depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, isolation, loss of employment, financial instability and other challenges, which can lead to suicide and suicide attempts.”

Click here to for the application materials.

Join the Conversation!

If you have not done so yet, please register today to access our Covid-19 Forum, an interactive comments page for all NABH members on NABH’s Covid-19 resources webpage.

The Covid-19 Forum now requires an NABH login to view and post any content. Previously, a login was required only to post new content. So although members of the general public would not be able to post comments, they would be able to view them. This added feature makes it more exclusive to members.

To participate you must first create an account and log-in. Your current NABH username and password will not work for this new feature. To help us connect your account to the correct NABH member organization, please use your work e-mail when registering. After you create a new username and password, you will use that information as your new login for all member-only resources at www.nabh.org, including CEO Update.

After you have created an account, please visit the section, post information, and comment often. This forum is for you to post questions about issues you and your teams are managing during the coronavirus pandemic and to help provide answers and potential solutions to other NABH members.

Please note that in creating this account, you are agreeing to view and post information that all NABH members can access. Our members will generate and share the content in this forum for other NABH members to use. NABH has not created this content; however, NABH staff will review postings regularly and may delete or reproduce posts if necessary.

In addition, NABH is not liable to visitors of this site for any posted content. Our members agree to post questions or content that they believe is relevant to other member organizations. NABH may not be held liable for loss or damages that occur by the posting of or action taken on content posted. All content is for educational and informational purposes and is not intended as medical, legal, or other advice.

If you have any questions, please contact nabh@nabh.org for assistance.

Follow NABH on Twitter and LinkedIn During Mental Health Month 

This Mental Health Month, please remember to follow NABH on Twitter @NABHBehavioral and on LinkedIn at the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare to learn what NABH members and other organizations are doing during the annual national observance.

Fact of the Week

Among all adult discharges from opioid addiction treatment in the period 2015–17, 10.4% used both self-help groups and medications.

For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.

Health Affairs Blog Examines Strategies for Helping Individuals with OUD During Covid-19

A Health Affairs blog post this week outlines specific strategies that the federal government, states, and other stakeholders can apply to help individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) mitigate the effects of Covid-19.

Co-writers Jocelyn Guyer, managing director at Manatt Health, and Karen Scott, president of the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts, note in the blog post that states and providers should update their approach to OUD treatment and “not only change their policies on paper but also issue clear and authoritative guidance to explain the new options available to help people with OUD through the pandemic.”
 
The article highlights the various federal agencies involved in regulating medications used for OUD and recommends what should come next.

“In the longer term, as the Covid-19 crisis eases, it also will be important to evaluate whether any of the temporary policy changes should be adopted on an ongoing basis,” the authors wrote. “These could include, for example, eliminating prior authorization requirements for medications used for OUD; allowing access to medications used for OUD even if someone is not participating in counseling; and using telehealth to ease access to medications used for OUD, peer supports, and individual counseling.”

AHRQ Releases Consent Form for Telehealth Services

HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a consent form for providers to document they had a discussion with a patient about telehealth services and that the patient understood the information discussed.

AHRQ said providers should mail or provide an electronic portal to the form so patients have it before the discussion, and they should arrange for a qualified interpreter if the patient does not speak English well.

The agency said the form is intended as a checklist to make sure providers cover all important information with patients in easy-to-understand language. Click here to access the form and for tips to follow during the consent discussion.

Brookings Releases Report on Removing Barriers to Telehealth Services

Research organization The Brookings Institution this week released Removing Regulatory Barriers to Telehealth Before and After Covid-19, a report that concludes state and federal barriers have prevented telehealth services from launching its full capabilities.

The report provides a brief overview of the U.S. healthcare system; defines telemedicine, telehealth, and digital health; and examines federal versus state telehealth use implementation. Researchers noted that Covid-19 has shown the world the value of telemedicine, and asserted that telehealth regulations, especially those at the state level, should be written with a “broad eye toward the future,” being as flexible as possible.

“While progress was being made before the coronavirus outbreak to adopt telehealth in states,” the study’s researchers wrote, “the pandemic not only demonstrated its worth but also proved it necessary to avert larger meltdowns in hospital systems and among medical professionals—even those whose work was stopped due to social distancing.”

Next Week is National Prevention Week

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s next National Prevention Week is May 10 through 16. This Mental Health Month, click here to download a toolkit from Mental Health America and here for resources from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

NABH Joins Psych Hub

NABH recently became a partner with Psych Hub, an online learning platform about mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention.

Psych Hub’s free micro-video library hosts more than 100 consumer-facing, animated videos focused on improving mental health literacy and reducing stigma about seeking care. Click here to see all of Psych Hub’s partner organizations.

Fact of the Week

A recent Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll found that older adults were less likely than adults ages 18 to 64 to report that worry or stress related to the coronavirus has had a negative effect on their mental health: 31% versus 49%, respectively.

For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.

CMS Announces Additional Medicare Coverage Flexibility for Behavioral Healthcare Services

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Thursday announced additional flexibility in Medicare coverage for several behavioral healthcare services during the Covid-19 pandemic, including partial hospitalization.

CMS said it will allow payment for certain partial hospitalization services—namely, individual psychotherapy, patient education, and group psychotherapy—that are delivered in temporary expansion locations, including patients’ homes.

In addition, hospitals may bill for services provided remotely by hospital-based practitioners to Medicare patients registered as hospital outpatients, including when the patient is at home when the home is serving as a temporary provider-based department of the hospital. Examples of this include counseling and educational service as well as therapy services. This change expands the types of healthcare providers that can provide using telehealth technology.

CMS said hospitals may also bill as the originating site for telehealth services that hospital-based practitioners provide to Medicare patients registered as hospital outpatients, including when the patient is located at home. And while CMS announced previously that Medicare would pay for certain services conducted by audio-only telephone between beneficiaries and their doctors and other clinicians, the agency on Thursday broadened that list to include many behavioral health and patient education services.

CMS is also increasing payments for these telephone visits to match payments for similar office and outpatient visits. This would increase payments for these services to about $46-$110 from a range of about $14-$41. The payments are retroactive to March 1, 2020.

The changes will also allow Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to perform periodic assessments through two-way audio-visual technology and through audio-only telephone calls. This change builds on CMS’ March 31^st guidance, in which the agency said audio-only telephone calls were permitted for therapy, counseling, and counseling add-on codes.

In addition, CMS said pharmacists may perform medication management in accordance with state scopes of practice and laws. This modification does not, however, apply to the dispensing of methadone. Thursday’s rule reaffirmed the continuation of methadone dispensing by certified and accredited OTPs, under the supervision of clinicians who have received appropriate training and as required by the Controlled Substances Act.

Until now, CMS only added new services to the list of Medicare services that may be provided via telehealth using its rulemaking process. CMS is changing its process during the Covid-19 pandemic and will add new telehealth services on a sub-regulatory basis as it considers practitioner requests.

 CMS also announced that teaching hospitals, including inpatient psychiatric facilities, can increase temporary beds and admit more patients to alleviate pressure on acute-care hospital bed capacity without facing reduced teaching status payments and reduced payments for indirect medical education.

May is Mental Health Month

May 1 kicks off Mental Health Month, and Mental Health America (MHA) has created a 2020 Mental Health Month Toolkit to commemorate the national observance.

MHA and its affiliates nationwide have led this monthly observance since 1949, and this year will promote a “Tools 2 Thrive” theme to provide practical tools to improve mental health.

According to MHA, which reports that one in five people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, some of the tools may need to be adapted due to social-distancing restrictions during the global pandemic.

HRSA Seeks Public Comment on Bureau of Health Workforce Substance Use Evaluation

HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced it is seeking public comment for the next 30 days on its Bureau of Health Workforce Substance Use Evaluation.

In September 2017, HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce launched a multi-pronged effort to increase the U.S. healthcare system’s workforce capacity to prevent and treat the nation’s deadly opioid crisis. HRSA developed or expanded activities under five programs as part of this effort—including programs such as the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program and the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program—and is now seeking feedback to assess these program changes.

Click here to learn more about the comment submission process.

AHA to Host Webinar Next Week on Outpatient Services Featuring Sheppard Pratt Leaders

The American Hospital Association (AHA) will host a webinar about outpatient behavioral health services during the Covid-19 pandemic featuring leaders from NABH member Sheppard Pratt Health System on Monday, May 4.

Harsh Trivedi, M.D., M.B.A., an NABH board member and AHA trustee, along with Sheppard Pratt’s chief medical officer, chief operating officer, and medical director for outpatient services, will discuss the system’s efforts to redesign and adapt innovative treatment programs across the full continuum of outpatient services. This event follows a webinar that AHA hosted last month on Sheppard Pratt’s processes and protocols in the system’s inpatient psychiatric settings during the pandemic.

The hourlong webinar will begin on Monday at 3 p.m. ET. Click here to register.

Brookings to Host May 6 Webinar on Telehealth Before and After Covid-19

Research organization Brookings will host an hourlong webinar about telehealth services before and after Covid-19 next Wednesday, May 6 at 2 p.m. ET.

In its announcement, Brookings noted that before the global pandemic, federal and state regulations around reimbursement and licensure requirements limited telehealth use, while private insurance programs and Medicaid have historically excluded telehealth services from coverage.

“Whether through remote clinical health management or real-time patient monitoring, telehealth will increasingly become a necessity in health care, especially in assessing treatment options prior to any hospital visits,” the webinar announcement said.

The Center for Technology at Brookings and the John Locke Foundation will host the webinar to discuss the findings of a forthcoming paper on this issue, as well as the status of regulations and how to support telehealth services in the future. Click here to register.

SAMHSA to Host May 7 Webinar on Combatting Social Isolation for Seniors During Covid-19

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Administration for Community Living, the Veterans Health Administration, and the National Coalition on Mental Health and Aging will host a webinar about combatting social isolation for seniors during the pandemic to commemorate National Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day on Thursday, May 7.

The discussion will include practical ideas to promote connection and recovery for older adults with serious mental illness and substance use disorders during the global pandemic.

Click here for more information about the 90-minute webinar, which will begin at 1 p.m. ET.

Fact of the Week

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 56% of U.S. adults report that worry or stress related to the coronavirus outbreak has caused them to experience at least one negative effect on their mental health and wellbeing, such as problems with sleeping or eating, increased alcohol use, or worsening chronic conditions.

For questions or comments about this CEO Update, please contact Jessica Zigmond.