News

Transforming California’s Behavioral Health Workforce

Two new reports released; webinar offered ways organizations can lead on this critical issue California is facing a drastic shortfall of behavioral health care providers that has been exacerbated by the pandemic, an aging workforce, high turnover, poor geographic distribution, and a workforce that…

Unanswered Cries: Why California Faces a Shortage of Mental Health Workers

The need for therapists, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists is greater than ever. Under relentless pressure from the pandemic and inflation, wildfires and gun violence, racism and war, Californians are crying out for help. But that doesn’t mean they can get it. In every corner of…

Confronting Implicit Bias to Adapt Depression Screening and Treatment

Over the past 20 years, Tennessee has seen immense growth in the Latinx population due to a steady influx of migrant agriculture workers. To meet the health care needs of families in this community, Cherokee Health Systems (CHS), an integrated Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) opened a…

How Adverse Childhood Experiences Shape Health Care: In Conversation with Dr. Nadine Burke Harris

On September 24, the state of California’s first-ever Surgeon General, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, spoke to the alumni of the California Health Care Foundation’s (CHCF) Health Care Leadership program about her frontline experience with trauma-informed care, including her focus on Adverse Childhood…

Addressing the Opioid Epidemic Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

Three of every four pharmaceutical overdose deaths in 2010 involved opioids, according to the CDC. This sobering statistic focused attention on the rapid acceleration and devastating impact of the epidemic of opioid use disorder in the United States.

A Road Map for CIN in 2020-21

The California Improvement Network (CIN) is a learning and action network that aims to advance the Quadruple Aim by identifying and spreading better ideas for care delivery. The network is fueled by the energy and innovations of its partner and member organizations.

Mission Integration: Behavioral Health Strategies to Achieve Whole Health (webinar)

L.A. Care Health Plan and Healthforce Center at UCSF are partnering together to host a four-part seminar series focused on providing topical content to clinic leaders in the Los Angeles county safety net. This seminar series is tailored for alumni from leadership programs including L.A. Care’s…

Three Health Care Professions to Pay Attention to this Minority Mental Health Month

One in five adults experience mental illness in a given year, and mental health conditions are exacerbated among minority groups. For example, the rate of depression among black youth is 30% higher than the average for their age group. Multiracial US adults are more likely to experience mental…

Many Nurse Practitioners Cannot Provide Medications to Treat Opioid Addiction

At least six states with high opioid abuse rates also have strong work restrictions that hinder nurse practitioners (NPs) in prescribing medication that can help treat the problem, according to a study by researchers at Healthforce Center and UCSF.

Nurse-Researchers Instrumental in Planning for the “Silver Tsunami”

Source: UCSF Nursing's Science of Caring

Strengthening America's Mental Health Workforce: Sunita Mutha's Keynote Address at Kaiser Permanente Forum

On September 27, the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Policy hosted a forum, Strengthening America’s Mental Health Workforce, at Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Total Health in Washington, D.C. The event brought together leaders from across sectors to discuss challenges facing the mental…

How One Man’s Road to Recovery Has Helped Others with Mental Illness

After losing his job in the corporate sector, Josh was homeless and in and out of jail for several years. “Until I had my diagnosis; I thought everyone heard voices,” he said. The realization that he had a mental illness made Josh take action. After seeking treatment, he volunteered for homeless…