CCA Health California clinical operations director Kristen Slater wrote a column in the San Joaquin Valley Sun discussing the obstacles older Californians face when pursuing behavioral health treatment. According to the California Healthcare Almanac, nearly 1 in 7 California adults experiences a mental illness, but 63% of those diagnosed did not seek or receive treatment – a rate higher than the national average.
Slater notes that addressing this disparity will require expanding funding and growing the workforce available for behavioral health treatment. It is also imperative to rethink treatment models altogether, she writes.
“Our healthcare system must prioritize and deliver team-based, integrated care that goes beyond medical elements and attends to the social and behavioral needs that align with the lifestyle of patients,” she writes.