State Behavioral Health Innovations: Disseminating Promising Practices

According to reports issued by the President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health and the Institute of Medicine, the delivery of mental health care in the United States requires radical improvement and reform. To help identify promising innovations in behavioral health care, the authors of this report interviewed experts in the field of mental health and substance abuse. Based on their suggestions, the authors selected and described 17 practices— all related to purchasing and quality improvement—being implemented by states in behavioral health care. Many of the projects result from the increasing demands placed on state agencies to meet needs with a reduced budget, leaving states with little choice but to increase efficiency and effectiveness. The innovations fall into six categories: enhancing consumer-centered care, criminal justice/mental health collaboration, system integration, the use of performance incentives, quality improvement, and other promising practices. Support for this research was provided by The Commonwealth Fund. The views presented here are those of the authors and not necessarily those of The Commonwealth Fund or its directors, officers, or staff. This report and other Fund publications are available online at www.cmwf.org. To learn more about new publications when they become available, visit the Fund’s Web site and register to receive e-mail alerts. Commonwealth Fund pub. no. 945.