Sheppard Pratt Creates New Division to Meet Behavioral Care Demand Nationwide

Towson, Maryland-based Sheppard Pratt Hospital — which is one of the oldest psychiatric health systems in the country — has launched a new division to expand service access throughout its Baltimore-area homebase and beyond. Sheppard Pratt Solutions will use mental health professionals to provide consulting, management services and development-based partnerships with health care organizations nationwide. […]

From Rock Bottom on Wall Street to Mental Health CEO: The Unlikely Story Behind Florida’s ​Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center

Jaime Blaustein has experienced his rock bottom. Blaustein, the former investment banker, knows firsthand what it’s like to be in despair, not knowing where to turn, in need of guidance, support and some tough love. In fact, he’s had a few moments like that. “The lowest of lows I’ve had, I could go into all […]

Legislation May Dramatically Increase Access to Mental Health Services for Medicare Patients

Pending legislation could usher in the ability for older and disabled Americans to access hundreds of thousands more behavioral health care providers. Experts say outdated policies currently limit many Medicare policyholders’ behavioral health care options because swaths of clinicians have remained ineligible for reimbursement for decades. But that could all change thanks to a bill […]

Sevita Acquires Good Neighbor and More, Continues Aggressive Growth

Sevita — a provider of community-based specialized health care —announced the acquisition of Good Neighbor, a Richmond, Virginia-based provider of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. According to a news release, the acquisition reaffirms Sevita’s “renewed focus” to provide access to whole person care and in turn expands its “Community Support Services” operating […]

Behavioral Health Providers, Leaders Treading Cautiously on Workforce Vaccination Mandate

On September 9, the Biden administration issued a mandate for all health care workers at federally funded facilities to receive COVID-19 vaccinations. The order also extends to behavioral health care workers, whom a leading industry group last year described as being an afterthought when it came to inoculating frontline staff. A number of behavioral health […]

Pipeline: Acadia Begins Construction on Geisinger JV; Multi-State ABA Provider Opens New Center

Acadia breaks ground on JV behavioral health facility with Geisinger Ground has been broken on a 96-bed, 73,000-square-foot inpatient behavioral health facility in Moosic, Pennsylvania that will be operated as a joint venture (JV) between Acadia Healthcare (Nasdaq: ACHC) and Geisinger Health System. Geisinger Behavioral Health Center Northeast will treat adult, pediatric and adolescent patients […]

SAMHSA to Provide $15M Training Grant to Strengthen CCBHCs

On Friday, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) awarded a five-year grant to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing to operate a national center for technical assistance for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) grantees. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing will be given $3 million every year for five years and […]

Sabra Health Care REIT Reaches Agreement on $325M Loan to Recovery Centers of America

Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA), a national real estate investment trust, has entered into a proposed agreement to provide the Recovery Centers of America (RCA) with a $325 million mortgage loan, which would be secured by eight inpatient addiction treatment facilities. Six of the centers are stabilized while two properties, which opened during the […]

COVID-19 Pushes More Residential Behavioral Health Providers to Outsource Dining Services

A growing number of residential behavioral health providers are outsourcing their dining services, according to Karen White, director of marketing at Culinary Services Group. “We’ve seen a large uptick probably within the past year,” White told Behavioral Health Business. “A lot of these organizations are seeing the benefit of having somebody … that can develop […]