13 in ’13: Integration Highlights in 2013

2013 brought a wealth of new research, federal initiatives, and resources for integrated primary and behavioral healthcare services. The SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions posts the latest news and tools on our website, and serves as the “national home” for primary and behavioral healthcare integration. In case you missed them, here are our top picks from 2013.

1. National Dialogue on Mental Health
   The second-ever White House Conference on Mental Health, held in January, led to the launch ofmentalhealth.gov and the National Dialogue on Mental Health, which includes an effort to startconversations about mental health across communities.
2. Federal Investment in Integrated Care
   Federal investment in integrated care included $50 million through HRSA in expanded funding for community health centers to provide mental health services, a new group of SAMHSA Primary and Behavioral Health Care Integration grantees, and tobacco cessation support from the CDC for providers helping people with severe mental illness.
3. Medicaid Expansion
   The Center for Health Care Strategies released an issue brief on Strategies to Improve Dental Benefits for the Medicaid Expansion Population, which outlines how 20 Medicaid expansion states intend to offer at least a minimal dental benefit to newly eligible populations. This brief can help inform other states as they determine benefit offerings for the Medicaid expansion population in 2014 and beyond.
4. Atlas of Integrated Health Measures
   The Agency for Health Research and Quality’s Academy for Integrating Behavioral Health and Primary Care released several resources, including the Atlas of Integrated Health Measures, a user-friendly guide that helps integrated health settings achieve the Affordable Care Act’s triple aim.
5. Substance Use Treatment Resources
   New substance use treatment resources from SAMHSA included Systems Level Implementation of Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) and Managing Chronic Pain in Adults with or in Recovery from Substance Use Disorders, a SAMHSA Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP 54).
6. Innovations in Addictions Treatment
   Our Innovations in Addictions Treatment report shares insights and perspectives from pioneering addiction organizations that integrated primary care services.
7. Coalitions and Community Health
   The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and CIHS developed Coalitions and Community Health: Integration of Behavioral Health and Primary Care to outline how the nation’s 5,000+ community substance abuse prevention coalitions can help to reduce substance use in ways that complement healthcare providers’ integration efforts.
8. A Window of Opportunity
   Grantmakers in Health and the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health released the report, A Window of Opportunity, which highlights the role philanthropy can play in eliminating health disparities through supporting integrated care.
9. State Innovation Models in Integration
   States are taking on initiatives to improve healthcare quality and provide integrated primary and behavioral healthcare. CMS reported on lessons learned from six states participating in the State Innovation Models program.
10. Telebehavioral Health Training Series
    CIHS’ Telebehavioral Health Training and Technical Assistance Series is designed to help safety net providers and rural health clinics understand and adopt telebehavioral health services. The implementation of these services for mental health and substance use allows for increased access, particularly in rural or underserved areas.
11. Standard Framework for Levels of Integrated Healthcare
    The CIHS Standard Framework for Levels of Integrated Healthcare helps primary and behavioral healthcare provider organizations improve outcomes by helping them understand where they are on the integration continuum. 
12. Growth in Medicaid Health Homes 
    We saw growth in the number of Medicaid Health Homes, specifically those addressing behavioral health. As of November 2013, nine states have approved state plan amendments for behavioral health homes: Alabama, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon, and Rhode Island.
13. Final Parity Rule
    Four years after passage of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, a final rulewas implemented to apply parity to insurance plans.