The Future of Public Mental Health: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Policy Points Social policies such as policies advancing universal childcare to expand Medicaid coverage of home‐ and community‐based care for seniors and people with disabilities and for universal preschool are the types of policies needed to address social determinants of poor mental health. Population‐based global budgeting approaches like accountable care and total cost of care models have the potential to improve population mental health by incentivizing health systems to control costs while simultaneously improving outcomes for the populations they serve. Policies expanding reimbursement for services delivered by peer support specialists are needed. People with lived experience of mental illness are uniquely well suited to helping their peers navigate treatment and other support services.