Mental health and substance use facilities are being forced to operate beyond maximum capacity as psychiatric hospitals are facing heightened financial pressure in the wake of the pandemic, according to a July 5 report from Behavioral Health Business.
Financial pressures, low reimbursement rates and staffing challenges combined with the increasing prominence of mental health disorders is making it difficult for providers to meet the demands for psychiatric services. As a result, behavioral health services and facilities are underresourced and at high risk for being closed compared to physical health services, according to the report.
Here are notable examples of the challenging circumstances faced by psychiatric hospitals:
The utilization rate of mental health facilities in the U.S. is 144 percent, according to the most recent National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey conducted in 2021. The survey also reveals that the utilization rate of facilities focused on both substance use and mental health is 137 percent. Additionally, facilities solely focused on substance use have a utilization rate of 96 percent.
A California county would need to quadruple their number of psychiatric beds to fulfill the California Hospital Association's guidelines, according to a July 2 report in The Mercury News. The CHA advises each county to have one psychiatric bed per every 2,000 individuals, and Santa Clara County currently has 0.26 beds per 2,000 residents. The closing of an 18-bed psychiatric unit in Los Gatos, Calif., reduced the total bed count in the county by 8.5 percent. Experts said the number of beds in Santa Clara County was "alarmingly low" before losing the 18 beds, and now the county would have to find a way to offer 960 additional beds to adequately care for the population.
The closing of a Washington state behavioral health hospital will eliminate 137 psychiatric beds and 288 jobs. Tukwila-based Cascade Behavioral Health Hospital was left with no choice but to close after concerns over staff-to-patient ratios and safety. The hospital has cared for approximately 25,000 patients since it opened a decade ago, and it has now reduced its number of patients to 40 before it officially closes on July 31.