Integrating legal services to improve behavioral health, a challenge met from a different angle.

Families, Systems, & Health, Vol 40(4), Dec 2022, 609-612; doi:10.1037/fsh0000773The United States’ current healthcare delivery system is not prepared to address the expanding behavioral health (BH) crisis without treatment of upstream social determinants that contribute to downstream BH exacerbations. Medical Legal Partnerships (MLP) utilize lessons from integrated BH to create efficiencies, augment the reach of the current BH workforce, network community resources, and likely provide BH prevention at the family unit. Payment policy changes are needed, however, to provide sustainable access to these services. The current surge of federal and state funding for BH care needs may provide the policy window necessary to sustainably fund MLP lawyers as a novel, high-impact, professional on the integrated healthcare team. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
Source: Families, Systems, and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research