Behavioral Health

Behavioral health has moved from service line to operating model. At Becker’s Behavioral Health event, the leaders running behavioral health at Ascension, Advocate Health, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Cleveland Clinic, CommonSpirit Health, Hartford HealthCare, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Northwell Health and…

Demand for behavioral health services is rising rapidly, but workforce capacity is not keeping pace. Health systems are seeing the downstream effects: strained emergency departments, fragmented care and patients falling through gaps during critical transitions. Traditional, episodic models are no…

A patient is identified in primary care as needing behavioral health support, but the referral does not turn into treatment. That scenario is still common across healthcare, even when referral processes improve. For health systems focused on access, engagement and…

Hospitals are under increasing pressure to expand behavioral health access while managing emergency department congestion, inpatient capacity and limited psychiatric coverage. Many organizations have adopted telepsychiatry to reduce boarding and improve access, yet leaders often struggle to evaluate which partners…

Behavioral health leaders are navigating a future defined by higher demand, fewer clinicians and increasing financial strain. This whitepaper outlines how organizations are responding as traditional operating models break down. Based on a nationwide survey conducted by Becker’s Healthcare and…

This resource outlines the significant burden of schizophrenia on patients and healthcare systems, emphasizing the prevalence of persistent symptoms (positive, negative, and cognitive) despite treatment. It highlights the high rates of treatment discontinuation due to bothersome side effects and the…

The demand for autism care is rising, but the specialists who provide it are burning out. Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) are at the heart of applied behavior analysis (ABA), a widely used therapy model for individuals with autism and…

Hospitals and health systems are losing patients, revenue and community confidence to months-long behavioral health waitlists. Children’s Wisconsin reduced a 600-patient child psychiatry waitlist to zero by expanding access to subspecialists without capital buildouts or year-long recruitment cycles. This report…

Behavioral health providers face immense pressure to verify benefits quickly and correctly — often within an hour of intake. But with payer-specific requirements, Medicaid redeterminations and program variations by state, even one missed detail can delay care or derail reimbursement.…

Psychiatrist shortages, record emergency department visits and prolonged boarding are straining hospital capacity nationwide. But a new care model is easing the pressure — and improving patient flow. This report shares how hospitals are deploying a virtual, team-based approach to…