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Local outpatient mental health clinics provide critical access to mental health therapy and medication for children, youth, and adults. Today, there are hundreds of patients with behavioral health needs boarding in hospital emergency departments across the state, due in large part to lack of access to outpatient care. Mental health clinics are also a primary training grounds for emerging therapists. If clinics were adequately resourced, they could effectively recruit and retain clinicians and expand access to affordable mental health care.
Clinic settings play an essential role in addressing the behavioral health needs of residents across the Commonwealth. As such, ABH’s Campaign to Strengthen Mental Health Centers is advocating for S.874/H.1396, which would require MassHealth to raise reimbursement rates for all outpatient mental health services.
Click here to access ABH's "Strengthen Mental Health Centers" Fact Sheet
ABH In The News
- CommonWealth Beacon Magazine has published an opinion piece submitted by ABH on the urgent need to fund clinics fairly. CommonWealth Beacon is widely read by civic and political leaders in Massachusetts.
- Strengthen Mental Health Centers Website
Visit our website at www.strengthenmentalhealthcenters.org to learn more about S.874/H.1396 and ABH's campaign to increase MassHealth reimbursement rates - Rates bill seen as "now or never" lifeline for mental health centers
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ABH Issue Brief: Outpatient Mental Health Access and Workforce Crisis
This brief provides a snapshot of exacerbated longstanding workforce challenges in behavioral healthcare settings as of 2021, based on a survey by the Association for Behavioral Healthcare (ABH). This survey was conducted between October and November 2021, and gathered information on current challenges in outpatient mental health treatment and the mental health workforce. The survey asked questions related to workforce recruitment and retention, vacancies, and access to outpatient mental health services.
