AAC NEWS FROM NACO NACo

• Youth behavioral health needs are at the forefront of the crisis. Two-thirds (67 percent) of counties reported that youth behavioral health conditions are “definitely a problem” or “very prevalent and/or severe.”

• Limited access to services inhibits county residents from receiving the help they need. Seventy-four percent of counties cited financial costs as a barrier to expanding access to behavioral health services, and 71 percent cited lack of direct service providers.

• The crisis is exacerbated by a lack of behavioral health workers. Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of counties consider the shortage of behavioral health workers in their county to be “definitely a problem” or “a severe problem.”

• The financial and human costs of behavioral health are compounding across all county systems. Eighty percent of counties indicated that they incurred associated costs in the legal system (courts and jails), 77 percent indicated associated costs in law enforcement, and 54 percent indicated associated costs in the health system and hospitals.

The report pairs key findings with associated policy objectives (https://bit.ly/430d7Fn), including:

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• Amending detrimental policies under Medicaid, like the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP) and the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion

• Obtaining direct and flexible resources to support the recruitment, training and retention of a sufficient behavioral health workforce

• Enhancing the intergovernmental partnership for the development and modernization of local crisis response systems and infrastructure, and

• Enforcing policies that ensure equitable coverage for treatment of mental illness and addiction.

“We are committed to advocating for solutions that alleviate suffering, address workforce shortages, remedy systemic failures, and produce better results for all,” said Winfrey.

To access the full report, “Behavioral Health Conditions Reach Crisis Levels: Counties Urge Stronger Intergovernmental Partnerships and Outcomes,” navigate to this link: https://bit.ly/3Mx8GfV.

For more information about NACo’s Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing, navigate to this link: https:// bit.ly/3WawTvt.

— Nicole Weissman

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