Latest / Becker's Healthcare Behavioral Health / Hawaii Senate Passes 4 Behavioral Health Bills; Massachusetts Health Center Launches Mobile Behavioral Health Screenings

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Hawaii Senate Passes 4 Behavioral Health Bills; Massachusetts Health Center Launches Mobile Behavioral Health Screenings · Becker's Healthcare Behavioral Health

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  This is Randy Homan with Becker's Behavioral Health Podcast.
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  Here's your daily industry news brief for March 2nd.
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  First,
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  the Hawaii Senate Committee on ways and Means unanimously passes four bills on
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  behavioral health.
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  The first bill would appropriate funds to hire healthcare specialists for
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  individuals with complex needs at rural public schools.
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  The second bill would establish a crisis intervention and diversion program
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  within the Department of Health.
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  It would divert those with mental health issues to appropriate healthcare
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  services.
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  It would allow a law enforcement officer alongside a crisis intervention officer
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  to transport any individual believed to be a threat to themselves or others to a
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  designated crisis center.
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  The third bill would not go into effect until 2050.
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  It would require the Health Department to track and publicly report data related
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  to crisis reports, emergency mental health transports,
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  and court ordered treatments.
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  The department would then have to respond to reports about people with severe
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  mental illness who are in need of assistance,
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  and assess if the individual should be sent to assisted community treatment.
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  The fourth bill would establish the infant and early childhood mental health
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  program.
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  This would provide and coordinate mental health services for children from birth
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  to age five.
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  It would focus on the delivery of mental health services and workforce training.
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  It would also promote better understanding of young children's needs,
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  the importance of positive early relationships,
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  and the benefits of trauma informed care.
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  The bills now move on to the House of Representatives for voting.
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  Second,
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  headway is expected to be valued at over 1 billion after a new funding round.
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  Headway is a mental health startup based in New York City.
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  Headway pairs individuals with virtual or in-person mental health providers in
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  its coverage network. Its partnerships with insurers include Aetna, Cigna,
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  and United Healthcare. After a funding round in 2021,
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  the company was valued at 770 million.
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  The company is expected to raise roughly 100 million from investors
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  like Spark Capital, thrive Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, and L
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  Third. Whittier Street Health Center adds screenings for behavioral health and
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  substance abuse to its mobile unit outreach program.
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  The mobile health program has four health vans that offer depression and
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  substance abuse screenings.
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  It also has a depression safety protocol for individuals who score positive for
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  suicidality.
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  It also offers resources like the early support in recovery drop-in program for
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  anyone who scores positive for substance abuse. Initially,
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  the program was designed to offer primary care services to close gaps in life,
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  expectancies for low income communities of color and immigrant populations.
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  Thanks for listening.
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  Subscribe to the Becker Behavioral Health Report newsletter on our website at
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  www becker behavioral health.com.