In a recent interview with Authority Magazine, URAC President and CEO Shawn Griffin, MD, shared his perspective on addressing the challenges within the US mental health system. Drawing from his experiences as a health care leader and rural family physician, Dr. Griffin emphasized the need for systemic reforms to ensure equitable access to mental health care.
Dr. Griffin identified five key strategies to improve the mental health system:
- Expand the behavioral health workforce to meet growing demand
- Enforce and broaden mental health parity laws to ensure equal treatment coverage
- Prioritize access and equity, making quality care available regardless of location or income
- Integrate behavioral health into primary care to facilitate early intervention
- Leverage telehealth responsibly, ensuring it bridges gaps rather than widens them
“We need to simplify the system and make mental health care as routine and accessible as physical health care,” Dr. Griffin stated.
- Learn more about URAC’s Mental Health Parity accreditation here.
- Get more information about URAC’s Health Equity accreditation here.
- Read the full interview here.
Media Contact:
Laura A. Wood
Director, Marketing and Communications
communications@urac.org
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