Behavioral Health Update and Resources

December 2, 2020

MEMORANDUM

Below are several updates concerning hospital and health system behavioral healthcare, including summaries of:

  • State requirements to change bed capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic;
  • Illinois violence prevention and behavioral health support resources;
  • A Request for Information (RFI) from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH); and
  • Recordings of recent IHA telehealth webinars, focusing on treating addiction and behavioral health.

Flex Beds During COVID-19
As a reminder, hospitals that need to add to their psychiatric bed capacity or convert (flex) beds to accommodate during peak periods and meet patient demand do not need a Certificate of Need during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Notification must be given to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board and the Illinois Department of Public Health.  More information can be found here.

Violence Prevention & Behavioral Health Support Resources
The Illinois Dept. of Public Health has shared Violence Prevention and Support Resources, which provides several pages of state and national 24-hour hotlines and text lines and corresponding resource summaries.

NIMH Requests Guidance: Research on Risks & Prevention of Black Youth Suicide
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has issued an RFI seeking input from stakeholders, including healthcare providers and researchers, on the risks for and prevention of death by suicide and suicidal ideation and behaviors (SIB) of Black children and adolescents. Specifically, the RFI seeks information on epidemiology, etiology, trajectories, preventive interventions, treatment interventions, and services interventions.

For consideration, comments must be submitted electronically via the National Institutes of Health (NIH) RFI website by Jan. 15.  Response to this RFI is voluntary and may be submitted anonymously, but NIMH strongly encourages respondents to include their name, the organization they are representing, and their role in the organization.  The submitted information will be reviewed by NIH staff.

IHA Telehealth Webinars
As a reminder, last month, IHA hosted two webinars on telehealth: “Modeling Long-Term Investment in Telehealth” and “Treating Addiction and Behavioral Health via Telehealth.” Recordings of both webinars are on the IHA website.

For questions or comments, please contact IHA.