When the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020, none of us knew exactly what was going to happen. Initially, it was unimaginable that almost every person on the planet would be affected. Although this was his one of the greatest tragedies of modern times, one of the silver linings is the great progress seen across the behavioral health profession. From increasing access through telemedicine technology to reducing stigma to raising awareness and mainstreaming conversations about mental health, more people than ever are paying attention to mental health. Although the pandemic has brought about some positive changes in healthcare, it has also clearly brought many challenges, especially in the medical field. Due to workforce shortages and increased burnout, many industries, including mental health providers, are experiencing a decline in professional caregivers. Our industry is currently at a crossroads, and we are considering how this rapid change will impact not only the organizations providing behavioral health services, but also the consumers who need them. It’s starting.
When the pandemic temporarily halted in-person medical care, we as professionals knew that stopping treatment altogether was not an option, so telemedicine moved further into the mainstream. I did. Although telemedicine was introduced long before the pandemic, it only became more widely used during that period. Telehealth provisions that emerged in the wake of the pandemic have expanded access to care for school-age children whose school schedules limit access to care and in rural communities who may struggle with reliable transportation. Much improved.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the mental health field has also made great strides by introducing and leveraging new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to assist healthcare providers. AI tools, like those brought to Centerstone through our partnership with Lyssn, help clinicians become stronger experts in their practice, create faster and more accurate progress records, and streamline administrative tasks like billing and scheduling. and help improve overall operational efficiency. There are 10,000 to 20,000 mental health apps on the market, many of which integrate AI into their functionality.
In addition to improving access and efficiency to care, the COVID-19 pandemic has also changed the stigma surrounding mental health. I’m seeing people talk about their own journeys with recovery and mental health more often in ways I didn’t before. A sharp decline in stigma and expanded access to treatment meant a huge influx of patients. A recent survey from the American Psychological Association found that nearly three-quarters of practicing physicians report that their waiting lists are longer than they were before the pandemic.
However, this significant increase in the number of people needing care has, in part, led to increasing problems of mental health provider burnout and workforce shortages. And these issues coincide with an unprecedented number of health care workers losing their jobs and even quitting their industries during the pandemic. For many healthcare providers like Centerstone, we continue to play catch-up, recruit and retain great talent, and provide the best possible care to our patients.
I am inspired by the rapid innovation happening across our profession and marvel at the incredible progress we have made and how we can address the challenges that remain. The more people who seek mental health care, the more lives saved. And while this is the ultimate goal for the mental health care industry, this influx brings with it a variety of challenges, including workforce issues, funding programs, and how to make services as accessible as possible to those who need them. We are at a crossroads of great challenges. Because there’s so much work that mental health agencies have to do right now.
To do more with less, it is vital that these organizations come together and collaborate with each other in ways that may seem disparate but ultimately better support their missions and patients. is needed.
That’s why Centerstone continues to invest in innovative new ideas, new technologies, and collaborative partnerships with other organizations to help us do more than we could ever do alone.
David Gass is the CEO of Centerstone, a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder services. For more information, visit Centerstone.org.
