Specialty Mental Health Treatment Facilities: Capacity and Utilization

Background:  A public health approach towards meeting the U.S. mental health treatment need includes assessing the capacity of the overall mental health treatment system.  The current mental health system is a complex web of specialty mental health, human services, voluntary support network, and general, medical, or primary care. Assessing the capacity of all of these sectors as a whole to meet demand is a daunting task, but by analyzing each sector separately we can begin to piece together the current picture of the system’s capacity and projected areas of need.  While shortages, in the behavioral health workforce continue, public health agencies are working to recruit and train mental health professionals and forecast future supply and demand.  Part of this equation must include assessing the specialty mental health treatment facilities across the U.S. which includes specialty outpatient, inpatient, and residential treatment services.

Methods: This study uses data from the National Mental Health Services Survey (N-MHSS, 2010) to examine the distribution and utilization rates of specialty mental health treatment facilities across facility type and treatment settings with a specific focus on rural areas and public versus private entities.

Results: In many instances, utilization rates for inpatient and residential treatment facilities are above full capacity.  Results are discussed in the context of mental health treatment need with specific emphasis on rural areas and public versus private facilities. 

Conclusion: Specialty mental health treatment facilities are a vital mechanism of service delivery in the U.S. mental health treatment system operating in some cases at or above maximum capacity.  Future planning must consider alleviating the pressure on this delivery sector by allocating resources to bolster the current system.