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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Mardia A. Coleman, BA and Debra Hurwitz, RN, BSN, MBA. UMass Center for Health Policy and Research, 222 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545, 508-856-4103, mardia.coleman@umassmed.edu

In this paper, we describe how an established relationship between the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and the UMass Center for Health Policy and Research (CHPR) has supported policy and delivery system changes designed to improve behavioral health service integration between Massachusetts community health centers (CHCs) and community mental health centers (CMHCs). In 2005, EOHHS asked CHPR to work with the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and CHCs and CMHCs trade associations to explore ways to increase behavioral health services integration between CHCs and CMHCs. With DMH support, CHPR facilitated meetings between CHC and CMHC trade associations and providers to identify state-level and provider systems barriers and opportunities. This process resulted in three action areas. (1) Policy Development: Participants identified a number of state-level regulatory and policy changes to improve integration. A number of these changes have been implemented or are in process. (2) Community Based Planning: Participants chose demonstration projects appropriate to their communities to implement the policy changes, and to identify and test site-based best practices that could be adopted by other CHCs and CMHCs. Six pairs of CMHs and CMHCs are currently serving as demonstration project sites. (3) Program Evaluation: CHPR is conducting an evaluation of the demonstration project sites, and the impact of policy changes designed to inform policy makers at the state and local level. In sum, the EOHHS-CHPR relationship provided EOHHS opportunities to identify and implement needed policy changes, and to support improved CHC-CMHC behavioral health integration processes.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of the session, the learner will be able to
• Describe how processes to involve key stakeholders leads to state policy change and action
• Describe how an academic partner can support state health policy development
• Articulate the multiple roles an academic can bring to state agencies

Keywords: Policy/Policy Development, Community Health Centers

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered