Center for Health Care Strategies’ Post

How can primary care and Medicaid help prevent unnecessary child welfare system involvement? By supporting child and family health and well-being, pediatric and family care providers can help prevent unnecessary child welfare system involvement and reduce unwarranted and often biased reporting to child protective services, which disproportionately impacts families of color. With Medicaid covering over 40 percent of children across the nation, there is significant opportunity for state Medicaid agencies to support primary care practices in building capacity to advance child and family well-being. This critical assistance can promote health equity and prevent child welfare system involvement. This report explores practice-level approaches for implementing effective interventions and recommendations for how Medicaid programs can support practices and enable delivery system reforms that mitigate child welfare involvement. The recommendations align with recently released Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services guidance on best practices to ensure children’s access to Medicaid Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefits. https://bit.ly/4etxJMh Kelsey Brykman; Olivia Randi; Ruby Goyal-Carkeek; Conrad N. Hilton Foundation; Kima Taylor

Mental health conditions and substance use disorders (SUD) are significant drivers of the U.S. maternal mortality crisis, particularly during the postpartum period. Despite Medicaid covering two out of every five births nationwide and being the largest payer of behavioral health services, promising models that support pregnant and postpartum individuals with SUD have not yet been widely adopted. With nearly every state now providing 12 months of postpartum Medicaid coverage, states and other key stakeholders have a significant opportunity to promote integrated, family-centered, trauma-informed care that improves health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum individuals and their children. This 10/30 panel will bring together ground-level practitioners and state and health plan leaders to share innovative approaches that better support pregnant and postpartum Medicaid members with mental health conditions and SUD. The discussion will highlight an upcoming report from the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), and offer insights and practical examples to help policymakers, health systems, providers, and community-based organizations transform maternal health care to offer critical supports for this oft-hidden population. https://bit.ly/3TS09Yc Karla Silverman, Lisa Asare, Daisy Goodman, Cat Livingston MD, MPH, FAAFP, FACPM, Josefa Scherer

October 10, 1 – 2 pm ET | Join this panel, hosted by the Anne E. Casey Foundation, that will feature experts and state and local officials from across the country who will explore critical opportunities to improve health and justice outcomes for youth reentering their communities after incarceration. https://bit.ly/3Na5SEW

Momentum is growing to prioritize child and adolescent health. The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recently released a consensus study on strategies for improving the health and well-being of children, adolescents, and families. For the past four years, CHCS has explored key strategies to reimagine child health care systems in a way that holistically addresses the physical, behavioral, and health-related social needs of children and their families. Through this work, CHCS has partnered with child health stakeholders nationwide to help spur child health transformation. This blog post shares insights from two advisors on the project, Renee Boynton-Jarrett and Ben Danielson, on why child health transformation is needed now more than ever, and what a reimagined system might look like. https://bit.ly/4gH6Ndr RWJF, Armelle Casau, Rachel M Yard, Martha Davis, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Vital Village Networks, AHSHAY | Allies in Healthier Systems for Health & Abundance in Youth

L.A. Care Health Plan’s Provider Leadership Program is accepting applications for this 10-month leadership development program for up to 20 competitively selected providers. Learn more below 👇 Apply by October 4, 2024, 5 pm ET.

In our September 2024 Monthly Update, we focus on assembling the next cohort of the Equity Changemakers Institute, explore how lived experience can shape recovery from mental health and substance use disorders, outline guidance for states on leveraging Medicaid to improve transitions from incarceration for youth involved with the justice system, and more!

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS | CHCS is seeking public sector leaders to join the next cohort of the Equity Changemakers Institute! This leadership development program supports leaders in strengthening their skills to drive transformational change and positively impact the health of those who live in their states/territories. Public sector staff from all states, commonwealths, and territories charged with leading agency health policy efforts to advance #healthequity are encouraged to apply. Applications are due October 23. https://bit.ly/44WFtAX Mark Larson; Lauren Moran; Tiffany Enos; Jahira Sterling, MPA; Allison Hamblin; Tricia McGinnis; Priti Khanal; Disha Uppal 

When it was originally conceived, the concept of “recovery” was truly radical. For centuries, mental “illness” was seen as an individual, moral failing that one could not recover from, often requiring lifelong professional intervention through imprisonment or institutionalization. During the late 20th century, leaders with lived experience in the survivor movement asserted that people can recover from mental health and substance use disorders, play an important role in their own recovery, and lead fulfilling, self-directed lives in the community. Despite significant advancements since the birth of the modern concept of “recovery,” however, recent studies show that less than half of all adults with mental health conditions and substance use disorders receive treatment. As we recognize National Recovery Month, it is helpful to revisit “recovery,” grounded in the experience of survivors who have mental health disabilities. In this blog post, Sarah Triano, CHCS’ Associate Director for Long-Term Services and Supports and Disability Policy, shares her personal lived experience, examines the strengths and limitations of “recovery,” and considers how to reframe recovery to more effectively support the health and wellbeing of people with mental health and substance use disorders. https://bit.ly/4gLSuEG