Leading with Care: How Hospitals Can Lead the Next Era of Behavioral Health

Across the country, hospitals and health systems are working to meet the increasing demand for behavioral health care. As health needs evolve, many times the emergency department serves as the critical access point for patients in crisis. To ensure safe, timely, effective, efficient and patient-centered care, new solutions are helping ease the pressure on front-line teams, improve health outcomes and extend the reach of behavioral health services and resources.

In partnership with the American Hospital Association, CredibleMind is cohosting the AHA Affinity Forum: Advancing Population-Based Behavioral Health Inside and Outside the Hospital Walls. This multipart series explores how hospitals and health systems can strengthen behavioral health prevention and treatment for patients, staff and communities.

The first session, “Community Health Strategies to Advance Behavioral Health,” brought together hospital leaders, clinicians and system innovators. They discussed how hospitals and health systems are shifting toward a population behavioral health model that encompasses prevention, self-care, community outreach, workforce support and clinical services.

Health care experts leading this discussion were:

• Nancy Myers | Vice President of Leadership and System Innovation, American Hospital Association
• Deryk Van Brunt, Dr.P.H. | CEO, CredibleMind, and Clinical Professor, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
• Arpan Waghray, M.D. | CEO, Providence’s Well Being Trust
• Jonathan Adler, M.D. | Chief Medical Officer and Co-Editor-in-Chief, CredibleMind

Why the Current System is Unsustainable

Behavioral health needs are pressing and persistent for several reasons:

• High prevalence. Anxiety, depression and related conditions remain elevated compared to prepandemic levels. This can put pressure on care teams and resources.
• Access deserts. More than one-third of U.S. residents live in areas with a shortage of behavioral health professionals.
• Comorbidity challenges. Patients with physical and behavioral health conditions are more likely to have higher readmissions, more complications and higher care costs.
• Delays in seeking and getting treatment. On average, people experiencing behavioral health issues wait eight to 10 years from first symptoms to treatment, and then three to six months once they seek care.

Van Brunt noted that “our system today is reactive, not proactive … creating unneeded costs for hospitals and health systems.”

A New Model: Population Behavioral Health

The session panel called for a shift toward a population behavioral health model that blends prevention, self-care, navigation and clinical services. This model addresses the three overlapping communities that hospitals serve: patients, their own workforce and the larger population.

Key elements include:

• Prevention and early intervention. Screen for risk early and connect people to appropriate support.
• Evidence-based self-care. Three out of four people experiencing distress say they first want to know what they can do for themselves or a loved one.
• Appropriate-level navigation. Those at lower risk can be supported with self-care, while higher-risk individuals are connected to therapy, peer support, medical care or a combination of these services.
• Workforce support. Many caregivers struggle in silence; hospitals can create confidential, easy-to-use solutions to strengthen staff well-being and reduce turnover.
• Community partnerships. Schools, faith organizations, public health departments and justice systems can be effective collaborators with hospitals and health systems, ensuring community members have needed access and support in their daily lives.

Adler emphasized the urgency of addressing the behavioral health care crisis: “Deaths from heart disease have declined dramatically thanks to public health strategies. Deaths from suicide continue to rise. We have the tools to bend this curve too — but only if we act.”

A key takeaway from the session: Hospitals, health systems and community partners can work together to convene, align and activate resources to address the behavioral health crisis.

From Talk to Action: What Hospitals and Health Systems Can Do Now

Throughout the session, several actionable steps emerged that hospitals and health systems teams can consider, including:

• Create a digitally integrated solution. Offer one simple place where patients, staff and community members can find self-care, screening and local resources.
• Normalize help-seeking. Leaders who model vulnerability and practical solutions themselves will help build a culture where it’s safe to seek support.
• Embed support into daily workflows. Using QR codes on student IDs, adding resource links in discharge packets or having handouts available at vital records counters make access seamless.
• Measure what matters. Move from focusing on dollars spent or programs launched to tracking avoided ED visits, increased in-network utilization, and behavior change.

Waghray observed that “none of us can live long enough to learn only from our own mistakes.” He added, “We must learn from each other — and we can all do something about this problem, starting today.”

By reframing behavioral health as a population-level responsibility, hospitals and health systems can prevent crises, strengthen their workforce and meet rising demand without overwhelming limited clinical capacity.

Resources to Continue the Conversation

• Join the next session in the AHA Affinity Series to explore how digital strategies and artificial intelligence can scale behavioral health self-care.
• Learn how to bring this population behavioral health approach to your hospital, health system or community.
• Watch the webinar “From Last Resort to First Support: How Hospitals Can Lead the Next Era of Behavioral Health.”