An interim Legislative committee has begun its study of behavioral health issues.
And as Prairie Public’s Dave Thompson reports, the committee has a lot of work ahead of it.
"We have very big challenges in front of us," said Rep. Kathy Hogan (D-Fargo), chair of the interim Human Services Committee. "Hopefully, we will brainstorm realistic and creative solutions to some of these challenges, and we'll build a vision. We can make this state a better place for really vulnerable people."
Hogan says one of those challenges is in the area of behavioral health – which encompasses such things as addictions and mental health issues.
The issue was studied in the last interim – fueled by a study showing North Dakota needs to make more treatment of these illnesses available. It showed a number of people with behavioral health issues end up behind bars – because there’s no other treatment available for them.
Dr. Elizabeth Faust is a psychiatrist working for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota. She told the Committee it has been proven that evidence-based treatment for those disorders works.
"And yet, we have no standard system in place to insure that people with mental health and substance abuse disorders receive effective medical and psycho-social interventions," said Faust.
Faust says health care providers are also realizing the overlap between behavior health and other medical problems. But she says there is still a ways to go.
"The gap between what is known and what is commonly practiced can be attributed to problems of access, training, insurance coverage, quality measurement, and fragmentation of care, including the separation of primary and specialty care, and poor coordination of care," said Faust.
Faust says this doesn’t necessarily mean more money – but she says the medical community needs to more effectively use the resources it has.
The Committee will make recommendations to the 2017 Legislature.
