The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration laid off more than 100 employees Oct. 10 amid a governmentwide reduction in force, according to an Oct. 11 report from NPR. Two former employees estimated that about 125 staff members lost…
Government & Regulation
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released the “Make America Healthy Again” report earlier this year aimed at addressing “overmedicalization” of children in the realm of behavioral health and shifting more focus on families and lifestyle choices. But Susan Swick,…
Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Tim Scott, R-S.C., have reintroduced the Occupational Therapy Mental Health Parity Act, a bill aimed at expanding access to occupational therapy for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. The legislation would clarify that…
Two top federal officials are arguing schools should eliminate mental health screenings and therapy — a stance that has drawn pushback from behavioral health leaders according to a Sept. 16 NPR report. Here are five things to know:
The federal government’s Make America Healthy Again Strategy, unveiled Sept. 9 in a White House news release, proposes major reforms to combat childhood chronic disease. While nutrition and environment are focal points, the strategy includes provisions targeting pediatric behavioral health,…
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The California Behavioral Health Services Act — formerly the Mental Health Services Act — is undergoing reforms that aim to expand services and redirect funding to address housing instability and homelessness among residents with behavioral health conditions, according to the…
The recently signed One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes a provision to invest $50 billion in creating the Rural Healthcare Transformation Program aimed at offsetting the loss of healthcare coverage nationwide. But leaders are questioning whether this effort will be…
American Psychiatric Centers, doing business as Comprehensive Psychiatric Services, agreed to pay $2.75 million to resolve allegations it submitted false claims for psychotherapy services to government programs. Federal and state officials alleged that from 2015 to 2022, the Walnut Creek,…
President Donald Trump has declared a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., mobilized federal forces and is working to remove homeless encampments — moves that build on a recent executive order linking homelessness to mental illness, substance use and public safety. …
Premera Blue Cross was fined $550,000 on Aug. 6 by Washington State Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer over alleged violations of the federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the state’s provider directory regulation. The insurer is also required…