At this time of year, I thought I’d write about what’s been happening in my professional role as Executive Director of Wellspring Prevention Center, a private nonprofit agency serving community members and organizations in Middlesex and Monmouth Counties. I did.
The agency supports individuals, families, and communities through quality prevention and early intervention services by promoting healthy mental health, effective family functioning, and awareness of the devastating effects of substance abuse and dependence. We are dedicated to improving your health and well-being.
First, why not take a look back at 2024? It was a year of major advances in substance use and mental health care, with the U.S. government taking major steps to improve access to services, address disparities in care, and address suicide prevention. .
We have seen the strengthening of mental health equality rules. Essentially, the U.S. Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury Department have introduced new regulations to force equal treatment for mental health and substance use services compared to physical health care. These allow insurance companies to offer mental health benefits with fewer restrictions than physical health benefits. This change will allow insurers to evaluate and adjust policies that may limit access to mental health care, such as prior authorization requirements or narrow provider networks, supporting the goals of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Must be.
more:Thankful for Substance Use and Mental Health Solutions | Parent Stories
There will also be a significant increase in federal funding, with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarding $45.1 million in grants to expand access to mental health and substance use treatment across a variety of populations. Issued. These funds support school-based mental health programs, community-based treatment for children and youth, and employment services for adults with severe mental health or co-occurring disorders. It also includes specific programs for high-risk populations, such as racial and ethnic minority groups and incarcerated individuals.
but There is much more we can expect, probably starting as early as 2025. For example, there is the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, published in April. This 10-year strategy represents the U.S. government’s first comprehensive federal suicide prevention plan. 10 years. This includes more than 200 targeted actions, including expanding mobile crisis support through the 988 helpline, integrating suicide risk assessment into substance use treatment, and providing resources to people affected by suicide. I am. The strategy emphasizes a holistic, community-driven approach to prevention, with the aim of curbing rising suicide rates and the overdose crisis.
These efforts reflect a broader effort to prioritize mental health and substance use treatment in public health policy, address long-standing barriers to accessible and equitable care, and target communities that need it most. Provide targeted interventions.
more:Are you sad? It might be because it’s autumn | Parent’s story
Looking ahead to 2025, several transformative developments are expected in the field of substance use and mental health treatment, with major policy shifts, technological innovations, and research updates expected to drive significant changes. will be done.
For example, there is an expansion of telemedicine and remote access that reflects a new focus on accessibility, enabling telemedicine for mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, which was established during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is expected that this policy will continue to be maintained. Forever. This expansion provides even more flexibility in accessing treatment by supporting audio and video-based care in the home, especially for those living in rural areas or facing mobility challenges. . This change is predicted to make SUD treatment more comprehensive and widely available.
Investment in infrastructure investment is also likely to increase. SAMHSA is proposing spending $8.1 billion, a significant increase in funding to strengthen overdose prevention services, 24/7 crisis intervention with continued development of the 988 hotline, and suicide prevention programs. And we can also expect new funding to target rising suicide rates among older people and marginalized communities to better integrate social support into treatment systems.
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are expected to further integrate medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which combines pharmacotherapy and psychological support for opioid use disorder to increase treatment effectiveness, marking a shift in treatment paradigms. It should be possible. This approach emphasizes the role of MAT in primary care settings and aims to reduce stigma and create a more supportive environment for people suffering from opioid addiction.
We also need to experience intervention in synthetic opioids and drug markets. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl are driving record demand and accelerated overdose deaths. The United Nations’ 2024 World Drug Report calls for global regulatory reform and preventive measures to address these powerful drugs, given their important role in the drug crisis and their impact on public health worldwide. Emphasized gender. New policy recommendations and cross-border cooperation are likely to strengthen the global response to synthetic opioid use and distribution
Finally, we will increasingly focus on the social determinants of health. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has introduced new service provisions to address social determinants of health (SDOH), such as housing insecurity and food access, in substance use treatment. These codes are designed to support collaborative care involving community health workers with the goal of reducing external factors that contribute to SUDs and mental health problems.
These upcoming changes will mean a shift towards more flexible, comprehensive and socially integrated approaches to SUD and mental health treatment in 2025 and beyond, addressing the structural barriers and complexities of the global substance use problem. both need to be addressed.
Ezra Helfand is CEO and Executive Director of Wellspring Center for Prevention. you can contact him[email protected] .
