Learn the Issues

Beacon Clinical Topic: Adverse Childhood Experiences and their Outcomes

According to self-reported data from the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, at least one in four kids in the U.S. has experienced some type of neglect or abuse during their childhood with one in seven having experienced abuse or neglect in the last year. When we fail to address these issues, we put children further…

Patrick Kennedy Highlights Beacon in Remarks on Innovative Payment Models

On Friday, September 8, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) hosted the Behavioral Health Payment and Care Delivery Innovation Summit. The purpose of the one-day summit was to discuss alternative payment models that improve behavioral health quality and access across the public health delivery system as well…

Accessing Mental Health Care After a Disaster – How You Can Help Eliminate Stigma

Mental health and addiction continue to be misunderstood and rarely discussed. In a given year, mental health issues will personally impact one in four people in the United States. Mental illness and substance use disorders – just like high blood pressure or diabetes – are preventable and treatable, yet stigma linked to mental health and…

Talking About Suicide: Beacon Employees Share Their Stories

With the publication of our white paper in February, “We Need to Talk About Suicide,” Beacon has launched its own suicide prevention efforts through a Zero Suicide campaign. As part of that campaign, and to help initiate conversation around a topic that has traditionally been off-limits, we’ll be releasing stories from Beacon employees regarding their…

The Psychiatric Shortage: Causes and Solutions

As recognition for the value of psychiatric care grows, so does the demand for services—but access is another story. The number of psychiatrists in the U.S. workforce is shrinking, and communities across the country are facing shortages of vital inpatient and outpatient psychiatric programs. Some of the most significant access challenges are hitting publicly-funded community…

We Need to Talk About Suicide

From 1999 to 2014, suicide rates increased by 24 percent in the United States, making it the tenth leading cause of death–yet many remain reluctant to talk about it. In Beacon’s third white paper, we share the application of the Zero Suicide framework, a key concept of the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention that suicide deaths…

Integration White Paper and Video

More and more primary care providers are treating mental illness–but where does that leave people with serious mental illness, who don’t normally engage with primary care? Is it enough for providers to be colocated, or does successful integration mean much, much more? In our Integration white paper, Beacon provides a clear voice through the noise around…

The Benefits of a Behavioral Health Specialty Care Program

As federal and state health care expenditures continue to rise, state agency leaders look to the managed care industry for solutions to better manage health care costs while covering more members. The Congressional Budget Office Extended Baseline Scenario projects costs for Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the health insurance exchange subsidies to…