Behavioral Health
Access to mental health care, including crisis care and care for those with high acuity mental health challenges, is inadequate in much of the United States. This results in challenges such as overuse of hospital emergency rooms and increased incarceration rates, which are costly for individuals and communities and do not result in essential treatment, services, or ideal outcomes.
More than 26 million individuals living with mental illness are going untreated,1 and on average there are 130 suicides per day in the United States.2 Behavioral and mental health challenges are a critical challenge for adolescents as well. Nearly 14% of youth (age 12-17) report suffering at least one major depressive episode (“MDE”) in the past year, and 59.6% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment.3 The American Academy of Pediatrics has said: “Mental health disorders have surpassed physical conditions,” as the main source of impairment and limitation among adolescents.4”
The U.S. opioid epidemic is a public health crisis impacting individuals, families, and their communities. Provisional CDC data indicate there were an estimated 107,622 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. during 2021, an increase of nearly 15% from 2020. Opioid overdose deaths account for nearly 81,000 of those deaths. 5
Improving access to quality, evidence-based opioid use disorder treatments has been associated with per person lifetime savings of $25,000 to $105,000.6
EACH YEAR, OPIOID OVERDOSE, MISUSE, AND DEPENDENCE ACCOUNT FOR:
$35 billion in healthcare costs
Patients who experienced an opioid overdose accounted for $1.94 billion in annual hospital costs.
$14.8 billion in criminal justice costs
Each dollar invested in addiction treatment reduces drug-related crime, theft, and criminal justice costs by $4-$7.
$92 billion in lost productivity
The losses stem from premature death due to overdose, “productive hours” lost to OUD, and opioid-related incarceration.
Source: 2021, The PEW Charitable Trusts.
ACCESS TO CARE RANKING 2020
The need for behavioral health services has only been exacerbated by the pandemic, which sparked a national conversation around substance use disorder and mental health helping to begin removing stigma and encouraging more people to seek treatment.
The Access Ranking indicated how much access to mental healthcare exists within a state. The access measures include access to insurance, access to treatment, quality and cost of insurance, access to special education, and workforce availability. A high Access Ranking indicates that a state provides relatively more access to insurance and mental health treatment. Lowest Ranked
Source: 2022 Mental Health America, Access to Care Ranking.
Vistria’s investments in behavioral health focus on several areas where we see the most pressing need, including the opioid epidemic, care for individuals with severe mental illness, and youth substance use disorder and mental health.
A leading provider of outpatient substance use disorder treatment services for addiction to opioids. BHG focuses on treating individuals via medication administration, behavioral counseling, and therapy.
Multi-state provider of comprehensive behavioral health and support services, including residential and community-based support services, to individuals with severe mental illness and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
A leading provider of high-quality care for young people with behavioral and mental health conditions.
*New investment; Case study 2023.
- https://www.mhanational.org/issues/2020/mental-health-america-access-care-data
- https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/
- https://mhanational.org/issues/2021/mental-health-america-youth-data
- https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/144/5/e20192758/38253/Achieving-the-Pediatric-Mental-Health-Competencies?_ga=2.118372937.1514100386.1662139672-1974848821.1662139672?autologincheck=redirected?nfTok%20en=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000?autologincheck=redirected?nfToken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
- https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/202205.htm#:~:text=The%20new%20data%20show%20overdose,in%20%202021%20compared%20to%202020.
- https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/data-visualizations/2021/the-high-price-of-the-opioid-crisis-2021
- Graphic 1 Source: https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/data-visualizations/2021/the-high-price-of-the-opioid-crisis-2021
- Graphic 2 Source: https://www.mhanational.org/issues/2020/mental-health-america-access-care-data
FACES OF IMPACT
Images may not be representative of quoted individuals.
If you feel that you are wanting to take that step to better yourself and have the things you want in life and do the things you want, make a phone call to BHG. It will definitely change your life. It for sure changed mine.
PATIENT,
BHG
SOPHIA’S STORY AT BEACON
Sophia is a true “success story.” She has lived at Beacon’s Goodrich home for almost four years and over that time has made tremendous strides. When Sophia moved in, she had severe emotional dysregulation.
If you met Sophia now, you would never know that she had a tumultuous past. Sophia has learned coping skills that work for her and developed a circle of support that is there for her when, and if, needed.
Sophia’s guardianship expired in February 2022, and she wondered who would become her new guardian. After calling numerous public guardianship offices with none accepting new clients, her case manager at Livingston County CMH asked, “How would Sophia do as her own guardian?”
Although a little nervous, Sophia became her own guardian. Sophia is not alone though; a “circle” has been developed to support Sophia and assist her with decision-making. Sophia’s circle consists of home staff, her CMH case manager, therapist, teacher, and Jan Lampman, owner of Community Drive and consultant of individual and family services. Jan facilitates the monthly circle meetings where Sophia updates the group on her goals and anything she may need assistance with.
Today, Sophia is her own guardian. Something she states she has not been in over 7 years. She goes to school at GISD Transition Center and is looking for employment. She is great at spending and budgeting her money, sometimes asking home staff for assistance. At today’s circle meeting, Sophia shared her latest goal: her own apartment. She knows that she has the support and encouragement of her circle, wherever she may go in life. Although change and growth can be scary, Sophia has her circle to assist her. The circle is all very excited to see where Sophia goes in life and will be there to cheer her on.
