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National Council launches new medical director institute
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The National Council for Behavioral Health recently announced the formation of the National Council Medical Director Institute.
“Formation of the National Council Medical Director Institute will generate independent, no-holds-barred data on the delivery and efficacy of behavioral health care in the U.S.,” Linda Rosenberg, PhD, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, said in a press release. “Their input will ensure that the care provided to the nearly 44 million Americans who experience mental health or addiction disorders each year is medically sound and recovery oriented.”
The new institute will focus on several topics, including:
- the effects of integration among individuals with behavioral health disorders;
- implementation of telebehavioral health systems;
- use and efficacy of psychotropic medications in foster care;
- development and maintenance of relationships between community mental health centers and hospitals; and
- management of controlled prescriptions for substance use disorders.
Joe Parks, MD, director of MO HealthNet, has been named as the first medical director of the institute.
“As a practicing clinician and a respected policymaker, Dr. Parks’ well-rounded experience will speak volumes in Washington as we seek research-driven, evidence-based policy,” Rosenberg said in the release.
Parks has served as an advisor to the National Council for more than 12 years, according to the release. As director of MO HealthNet, he currently oversees Missouri’s Medicaid authority in Jefferson City, Missouri.
“People with mental illness and substance use disorders deserve better access to high-quality treatment and services,” Parks said in the release. “To achieve that, America needs better behavioral health care policy and better trained behavioral health care providers. I'm excited to join the National Council and lead implementation of care that is integrated, data-driven and accessible.”
The National Council Medical Director Institute will counsel staff and members on important clinical practice issues and provide longer-term guidance through technical paper series on issues such as the shortage of psychiatrists and limited access to psychiatric services in the U.S.
The institute will also assess best practices in medication-assisted treatment.