APA Calls for Emergency Funding as COVID-19 Overwhelms Behavioral Health System

The behavioral health system is “collapsing,” despite an increase in anxiety, fear, grief, and substance use related to the global COVID-19 pandemic, according to astatement signed by APA and 11 other organizations and sent to Congressional leadership yesterday as Congress prepares to approve another round of COVID-related federal funding.The funding under consideration is primarily focused on shoring up existing programs —especially the Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program, which ran out of money last week. Congressional Democrats are hoping to add funding for hospitals, state governments, and a nationwide testing program for COVID-19. The bill is expected to be approved by Congress this week.APA and the other groups are hoping to alert Congress to the dire need for funding for mental and substance use treatment programs. “Before the pandemic broke out, there was bipartisan consensus that addressing mental health, substance use, and suicide were urgent national priorities. Congress took preliminary steps to increase funding for mental health and addiction services, but these investments may soon be lost because of the financial strain COVID-19 has taken on our mental health and addiction system,” the coalition stated.Citing a survey conducted by the National Council for Behavioral Health, the coalition noted that many behavioral health organizations “don’t have the funds they need to ride out this crisis.” The survey of 880 behavior...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: anxiety behavioral health system Bruce Schwartz CARES Act Congress COVID-19 fear funding grief National Council for Behavioral Health Paycheck Protection Program Saul Levin substance use Source Type: research