While the number of Californians needing mental health care has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state simultaneously faces a shortage of behavioral health providers. Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners — PMHNPs — play a critical role in the health workforce. PMHNPs are advance practice registered nurses with additional training in treating mental illness and substance use disorder, including prescribing of
psychiatric medications. Many work in the health care safety net. The challenge in growing this workforce has been training. Brick-and-mortar programs are a barrier for people who cannot relocate. The schools of nursing at UCSF, UC Davis, UCLA, and UCI are coordinating a new one-year certificate program to graduate more PMHNPs. Crucially, the new program is mostly online, giving advance practice registered nurses across the state the
opportunity to gain PMHNP certification without having to move. Learn more about PMHNPs and the UC multicampus program in this CHCF short video.
The new University of California program will train 300 new psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners who are expected to treat 350,000 patients over five years.
The state's leadership will be more important than ever.
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A conversation with California’s Medicaid director, Jacey Cooper, about how CalAIM seeks to improve care for Californians experiencing homelessness and what other states can learn from this work.
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The number of people served by California's homelessness response system increased from 188,000 in 2017 to 255,000 in 2020. This quick reference guide looks at available data on people experiencing homelessness in the state and their use of hospitals and emergency departments.
The Central Valley E-Consult Coalition, a collaboration between safety-net providers and Medi-Cal managed care organizations (MCOs), is facilitating the use of electronic consultations to improve patient access to specialty care. Medi-Cal MCOs are making the service available to all providers and patients at no cost.
Experts from the Urban Institute and from the medical and nursing fields examined the disproportionately low number of Black and Latino/x physicians and nurses, as well as discussed strategies, policies, and practices that can help address this issue.
Stories That Caught Our Attention
- Overturning Roe v. Wade Could Increase Maternal Mental Illness (Psychology Today)
Few have acknowledged the voice and plight of women who may feel forced to continue a pregnancy that will not lead to a live birth due to miscarriage and stillbirth. Related: The health workforce and population health implications of the decision may be far-reaching and long-lasting, according to this blog post.
- Critics Fear Abortion Bans Could Jeopardize Health of Pregnant Women (Pew Stateline)
Black women, who are much more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes, are most at risk. Related: This CHCF blog post explains how five philanthropic partners are collaborating to move the needle on Black birth equity.
- Sobering Lessons in Untying the Knot of a Homeless Crisis (California Healthline)
Portland, like Los Angeles, Sacramento, and much of the San Francisco Bay Area, has experienced a conspicuous rise in the number of people living in sprawls of tents and RVs, even as these communities have collectively poured billions into supportive services. Related: Read an interview with California Medicaid director Jaycee Cooper about innovation at the intersection of homelessness and health care.
- How Houston Moved 25,000 People From the Streets Into Homes of Their Own (New York Times)
The nation’s fourth-largest city hasn’t solved homelessness, but its remarkable progress can suggest a way forward. Related: CHCF recently published a practical guide featuring cross-sector data sharing between health and homeless systems of care.
- Universal Health Care Could Have Saved More Than 330,000 US Lives During COVID-19 (Scientific American)
The numbers of lives lost and dollars spent would have been significantly lower if coverage had been extended to everyone, a study says. Related: In this blog post, CHCF's president and CEO shares her thoughts on the recent findings of a California panel on universal health care.
- Riverside County to Receive $76 Million to Build Behavioral Health Campus in Coachella (Desert Sun)
The campus will provide assistance to people struggling with substance abuse and/or mental health issues and offer transitional housing. Related: A CHCF blog post shows how plans are moving forward for an integrated care center for seniors experiencing homelessness and adults with complex health conditions in Alameda.
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