Access to Behavioral Health

As part of AHA’s recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Rebecca Chickey, AHA’s senior director for behavioral health services, writes about the “People Matter, Words Matter” series of posters and the importance of using “person-first” language in behavioral health care settings.
Language not only describes what we think, but shapes how we think. Many of us remember terms that have fallen out of fashion or even have been deemed offensive (good riddance, in many cases), especially when it comes to behavioral health. One of the biggest changes, thankfully, has been a shift…
CHI Health, has begun incorporating AHA’s “People Matter, Words Matter” series of posters into their facilities and to their workforce, with plans to showcase more in various ways,
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it is a time to raise awareness of and reduce the stigma surrounding behavioral health issues. It’s also a time to recognize how mental illness and addiction can affect all of us — patients, providers, families and our society at large.
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Join us in celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month 2024 and learn how hospitals and health systems are addressing behavioral health care.
Wisconsin children and families in need of immediate mental health care can now walk in to a brand-new clinic in Kenosha, thanks to a $3 million donation from the charitable wing of the department store retail chain Kohl’s.
Patients went out-of-network 3.5 times more often to see a behavioral health clinician than a medical/surgical clinician in 2021, and up to 20 times more often for certain behavioral health visits, according to a new study by RTI International.
The Hospitals Against Violence Initiative (HAV) is proud to partner with the National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center (NMVVRC) to provide resources and support surrounding incidents of mass violence for the communities and patients served by our hospitals and health systems.
Learn how Iris Telehealth helped Geisinger Health dramatically reduce its referral queue of behavioral health patients waiting for care at-scale.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) welcomes the opportunity to comment on ways to ensure patients can receive timely emergency medical care, particularly in rural and underserved areas. We share the committee’s interest in ensuring that Americans have high-quality, affordable health care in…