218322 Access to effective behavioral health services for insured minority populations: What works?

Monday, November 8, 2010 : 12:30 PM - 12:50 PM

Eduardo Velasco, PhD , School of Community Health and Policy, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD
Kathie Fox, PhD , Aetna Informatics, Aetna, Inc., Hartford, CT
Allan S. Noonan, MD, MPH , School of Community Health and Policy, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD
Annelle Primm, MD, MPH , Minority and National Affairs, American Psychiatric Association, Arlington, VA
Kim Lisbeth Dobson Sydnor, PhD , Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD
Objective: to review the current status of barriers to access to behavioral health services since the 2001 Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity—A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, as well as to identify and issue recommendations to overcome such barriers among insured minority populations. Methods: A review of the literature was conducted, followed by key informant interviews, and a consensus group meeting to identify the main barriers and recommendations to improve access to behavioral health services for ethnic and racial insured minorities. Information was gathered on five domains: social context, culture, access, system of care, and prevention. Findings: Racial/ethnic minorities still are subject to overt and covert discrimination, negative stereotyping and stressful events that result in a greater burden of behavioral health problems and lower access to and utilization of behavioral health services. Specific strategies identified by consensus were: a) acknowledge the separate contribution of socioeconomic status and ethnicity to limited access; b) develop partnerships with academic institutions and behavioral health services at the federal, state and local levels; c) build networks of community and faith based leaders; d) recruit and train mid-level providers such as community health workers and patient navigators to increase outreach and monitor adherence to treatments; e) increase group case management in addition to patient-centered care in communities; f) reduce economic, administrative and location barriers to service utilization; g) adopt guidelines addressing the development of multicultural and multilingual services, training and education of health providers.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Provision of health care to the public
Public health administration or related administration
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify progress on and barriers to access behavioral health services for ethnic minorities since the 2001 Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity—A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. 2. Discuss recommendations issued by a panel of experts on how to improve the delivery of behavioral health services for insured ethnic minorities.

Keywords: Mental Health Services, Health Reform

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a public health researcher and practitioner working with behavioral health disparities, service delivery and organization, for ethnic minorities, who served as co-PI for this study.
Any relevant financial relationships? Yes

Name of Organization Clinical/Research Area Type of relationship
Aetna Behavioral Health Received grant from Aetna to conduct research project.

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.