Massachusetts Ranked First for "State of Mental Health" - But Much Work Remains

Network of Care Massachusetts now offers an updated insurance section to help people better navigate insurance options available in the Commonwealth. 

The refreshed pages include a private insurance page with information on how to purchase individual coverage and a public insurance page that provides guidance on publicly funded insurance programs available in Massachusetts, how to determine if you are eligible, and how to apply for coverage. A new consumer resource center provides answers to frequently asked questions about health insurance and strategies to use yours to access behavioral health services. Click here to access this new resource! 

People with mental health conditions are significantly overrepresented in every aspect of the criminal legal system. Too often, they are unnecessarily arrested and punished in jails and prisons that are unprepared for them and can do real and lasting harm.

For those who are imprisoned, we need to ensure they are treated fairly, receive the treatment they need and want, and receive support upon re-entry to the community to help prevent recidivism. Our summary of the issue and potential solutions is outlined here.

A 2020 investigation of the Massachusetts Department of Corrections revealed serious legal and human rights violations in these settings. In an editorial this summer, the Boston Globe supported legislation promoted by MAMH to reform mental health services in Massachusetts prisons, noting that "the juncture of mental illness and the criminal justice system is as undeniable as it is persistent."

Legislation sponsored by Sen. Jamie Eldridge and Rep. Brandy Fluker Oakley would institute changes at both state prisons and county jails, including provisions to facilitate transferring prisoners in crisis to mental health treatment facilities.

The FY22 budget included $1 million for the last year of a 4-year pilot project to establish a Middlesex County Restoration Center to provide crisis and urgent care for people with behavioral health needs, diverting them from arrest, jail, and hospitalization. 

A new report by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation documents the experience of behavioral health provider organizations that have implemented an "open access" model to ensure that people receive the care they need when they need it. The report provides keys to success and policy recommendations to promote the broader adoption of open access across the Commonwealth. Read more. 

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the world’s most widely available and widely used mutual help program to support individuals with recovery from addiction. A new Cochrane report systematically weighs the evidence for AA's effectiveness. Read more. 

Researchers at the National Institute for Mental Health's (NIMH) Intramural Research Program have developed a new way to measure the degree to which the proportions of an individual person’s brain differ from the proportions typically seen in the broader population. This technique yields new insights into brain development and offers tools for further study. Read more.