FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joy Burwell, joyb@thenationalcouncil.org, 202-748-8789
Patty McQueen, 860-985-3533
Behavioral Health Organizations to Host Forum on the Financing of CT’s Mental Health System
Hartford, CT (February 27, 2017) – Maintaining and expanding care for individuals in need of behavioral health services requires a concerted effort by providers, advocates, state governments, the criminal justice system and social service systems. On March 1st national experts will discuss the current and potential future state of mental health financing at a forum entitled, “Financing Connecticut’s Mental Health System: Advancing Access in the Midst of Reform.” Presenters will highlight important funding sources for mental health treatment, discuss the economic impact of mental health disorders in Connecticut, and take a look ahead at the financing landscape of 2017 and its implications for state policymaking.
Presenters will be:
- Craig Obey, Deputy Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer of Families USA
- Rebecca Farley, MPH, Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at the National Council for Behavioral Health
- Michael Menchine, Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine at the University of Southern California and Fellow at the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics
“As Congress considers changes to our health care system, we must take every opportunity to ensure the value of a strong mental health system is understood,” said Gian-Carl Casa, President & CEO of The Alliance. “This forum will provide an opportunity to ensure that future changes to the financing and delivery of care in Connecticut continue to improve our ability to support individuals, families and communities.”
The forum is hosted by the National Council for Behavioral Health through its Behavioral Health + Economics Network (BHECON), in partnership with the Connecticut Community Nonprofit Alliance and NAMI Connecticut. It will take place from 9am to 11am at the State Capitol Building, Room 310 in Hartford, CT. This event is sponsored by a generous grant from Alkermes and Genoa Pharmaceuticals.
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About BHECON: The Behavioral Health + Economics Network, known as BHECON (pronounced “beacon”) unites diverse stakeholders in a series of forums to examine and advance policy reforms to strengthen states’ behavioral health delivery systems. Led by the National Council for Behavioral Health with our state partners, BHECON participants include individuals and organizations recognized for their commitment to improving lives of people living with serious mental illness and incorporates representatives from the behavioral health, criminal justice, and public safety sectors, along with individuals working in the greater medical field. BHECON has partnered with academic research institutions to provide data and analysis specific to the topics presented at the forums and has curated national data in support of this effort. Learn more at www.BHECON.org
