Blog.

As the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury develop a new proposed rule implementing MHPAEA that is scheduled to be released near the end of this year, we have an opportunity to create a clearer, more workable regulatory framework—one that strengthens compliance while allowing health plans, regulators, providers, and patients to focus on what ultimately matters: access to high-quality behavioral health care.

988 Day on September 8 is an important moment to recognize how far the nation has come in building a responsive crisis system and how much work still lies ahead. The 988 Lifeline has revolutionized how people reach help during a mental health or substance use crisis with simplicity and ease. Now, by dialing a three‑digit number, people can be connected to trained counselors who can offer de‑escalation, support, and a path to care. But the number alone isn’t enough. Its impact depends on the strength of the crisis continuum behind it.

The conversation about ABA must shift. It’s not just about more or fewer hours in ABA. It’s primarily about providing quality, goal-based, multidisciplinary care—occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, play therapy, etc. —to the patients who need it. To that end, it’s crucial to create an environment that promotes innovation and improves treatment.

Treatment-resistant depression is one of the most pressing challenges in behavioral health care. Up to 70 percent of people with major depression do not achieve remission with first-line medications, and roughly 30 percent develop treatment-resistant depression. Treatment-resistant depression is associated with higher mortality and suicide risk, as well as greater health care costs. Because depressive episodes can last nearly three times longer than in well-managed cases, the condition is linked to increased emergency department use, psychiatric hospitalization, homelessness, substance misuse, and long-term disability.

States have made meaningful investments in behavioral health by increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates. That progress deserves recognition. But if the goal is to improve access to care, reimbursement alone is not enough.

The landscape of medication‑assisted treatment (MAT) has shifted dramatically over the past few years. ABHW has long advocated for policies that expand access to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), including supporting and advancing the Mainstream Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which eliminated the burdensome Data waiver (X Waiver) requirement in 2022. Following the passage of the MAT Act, and Congress’s expansion of training requirements for controlled‑substance prescribers, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has now finalized the regulatory updates needed to bring federal rules in line with these reforms.

For years, ABHW, alongside many other organizations has worked to advance meaningful behavioral health quality measures that define, reward, and deliver quality care. As part of this sustained effort, ABHW advocated for the inclusion of a behavioral health focused measure in programs like Medicare Advantage.

As Mental Health Awareness Month ends, we at ABHW want to take a few moments to thank those who elevated resources, shared stories, and participated in the conversation, and to look forward to what comes next.

Technology shapes almost every part of our lives – including how we understand, talk about, and care for our mental health. During Mental Health Month, it’s a powerful time to look honestly at how our devices can both support and strain our well-being, and how we can use them more intentionally.

The 2026 ABHW Summit’s theme carried through every session: Behavioral health is no longer a side conversation in health policy.

Behavioral health information, particularly substance use disorder (SUD) treatment data, is among the most sensitive information in health care. Extra confidentiality protections have been established for this data to ensure patients feel safe seeking treatment without fear of stigma, discrimination, or misuse of their records. At the same time, appropriate information-sharing is essential to delivering coordinated, integrated, high-quality care.

The rule is effective January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.

Without full telehealth flexibility, too many individuals are forced to travel long distances for care or cannot access care at all due to health limitations, transportation challenges, or cost.

In the third installment of our Best Practices for Children and Youth Behavioral Health series, we focus on how medication can support a child’s overall behavioral health. 

Examine how recognizing and addressing early behavioral changes can help reduce the risk of children developing more serious behavioral health challenges later in life.

Three leading expert share their perspectives on early identification, effective treatment, support systems, and ongoing care. Their insights shed light on the evidence-based approaches that can help families access the right support at the right time. 

September marks National Recovery Month, a time to recognize the 48 million Americans living with substance use disorders and to spotlight the urgent need for accessible, integrated, and stigma-free care.

The 988 Lifeline’s strength lies in its ability to offer localized care, supported by a unified national standard. More than 200 local crisis centers form the backbone of the national continuum of mental health care.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time to shed light on the importance of mental health and to remind ourselves that no one has to struggle alone.

The prevalence of mental health challenges among children and youth requires our urgent attention. ABHW’s Advancing Behavioral Health and Policy Summit and its report on the current state of children and youth behavioral health demonstrate the robust positive impact we can have when stakeholders work together to effectively address and improve children and youth behavioral health.

As demand grows and the behavioral health workforce struggles to keep pace, managed collaborative care is proving to be one of the most effective strategies to deliver high-quality, cost-efficient, and patient-centered care.

As we get settled in the new year – and administration – we had the privilege of sitting down with Debbie to discuss her journey, vision, and the future of the behavioral health industry.

The Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW), in collaboration with The Healthcare Innovation Company (thINc), hosted their annual Advancing Behavioral Health and Policy Summit from October 28-29, 2024 at the iconic Watergate Hotel. The forward-thinking program brought together leaders from health plans, health systems, employers, government and public agencies, and state, local community, and advocacy organizations to discuss major initiatives and the driving forces to advance behavioral health.

If Congress doesn’t act in the next few months and allows the in-person visit requirement to go into effect, seniors will have to find a provider to visit in-person before they can receive audio/visual care.

Despite improvement in both clinical and cost outcomes, provider hesitancy/trust and a lack of patient satisfaction and access improvement have impeded VBP and APM adoption. However, the health care industry as a whole is shifting away from fee-for-service payments toward VBP models.

If finalized, the Tri-Departments’ proposed rule will significantly impact patient access to virtual behavioral health providers, particularly through new start-up companies with providers trained to treat eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and SUD.

As the nation continues to grapple with an escalating demand for mental health and substance use disorder care, the conversation surrounding behavioral health has shifted and evolved.

The new rules propose sweeping changes to current operations, suggesting that parity is viewed as a magic bullet that will solve all the challenges of modern-day behavioral health care. However, no matter how far health plans bend to comply with parity, we will still be left with behavioral health care issues.

With more great minds, funding, and innovation than ever before, the digital health space is poised to put forth digital solutions that are scalable and clinically effective, and that transform mental healthcare as we know it.

While rising vaccination rates across the country have fostered optimism that we are inching closer to winning the fight against COVID-19, the pandemic’s effect on our nation’s collective mental health and well-being may shape demand for behavioral health services for years to come.

Now more than ever, the U.S. government is looking to expand and improve access to telebehavioral health services.

In the wake of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, three of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history, the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW) member companies and their employees reached out beyond themselves and answered the call of communities in need.

ABHW and its member companies use their behavioral health expertise to improve health care outcomes for individuals and families across the health care continuum. Our vision, stated below, is to advance a health care system that embodies the six aims of the Institute of Medicine’s Improving the Quality of Health Care for Mental Health and Substance Use Conditions.