NAPHS Statement on White House Opioid Commission's Final Report

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement from Mark Covall, President and CEO, National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems: 

The National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) applauds the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis for starting to address America's deadly opioid crisis.

We are especially pleased to see the commission has reiterated its earlier recommendation to remove the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion in one of several policy changes that the panel suggested in its final report on Nov. 1.

In October, NAPHS released Blueprint for Recovery: Increasing Access to Inpatient and Residential Behavioral Health, a white paper that outlines practical steps federal officials can take to address this public health emergency. We will continue to work with the administration, Members of Congress and other relevant stakeholders to implement effective policy changes that will ensure access to mental health and substance use disorder services for all who need it.

The National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems advocates for behavioral health and represents provider systems that are committed to the delivery of responsive, accountable, and clinically effective prevention, treatment, and care for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults with mental and substance use disorders. Its members are behavioral healthcare provider organizations that own or manage more than 800 specialty psychiatric hospitals, general hospital psychiatric and addiction treatment units and behavioral healthcare divisions, residential treatment facilities, youth services organizations, and extensive outpatient networks. The association was founded in 1933.

SOURCE National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS)