The Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) created the Forum on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders to provide a structured environment and neutral venue in which to discuss data, policies, practices, and systems that affect the diagnosis and provision of care for people with mental health and substance use disorders. Forum activities emphasize potential opportunities for action and may include expert meetings, public workshops, and webinars; summary publications; and targeted communications and community engagement. Forum members and participants include federal, state, and local government officials; representatives of consumer and family advocacy groups; service providers; payers; policy analysts; researchers; educators; and representatives of relevant professional associations and foundations.

Because of restrictions placed on travel and public gatherings as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the workshop hosted by the Forum, originally scheduled to be held in person in Washington, D.C., has been converted into a series of webinars. The webinars will examine approaches for facilitating the delivery of essential components of care for people with mental health and substance use disorders in primary care settings, using three illustrative conditions (depression, alcohol use disorder, and opioid use disorder) as a framework. ACCP is engaged in the Forum’s activities as a sponsoring member, represented by ACCP Director of Policy and Professional Affairs Kathy Pham, and actively participates on the planning committee for this webinar series. ACCP member Carla Cobb, Pharm.D., BCPP, is an invited speaker in the third webinar of this series.

The first webinar, presented on June 3, explored evolving models of care such as accountable care organizations, patient-centered medical homes, and collaborative care arrangements and how essential components of care for mental health and substance use disorders might be induced for these care models. The webinar also explored the policy issues related to implementing these models and the essential components of care. Speakers included Beth McGinty, Ph.D., M.S., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Center for Mental Health and Addiction Policy Research, and Gail Daumit, M.D., MHS, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. More information on the remaining sessions of the webinar series is listed below.

Part 2
July 29, 2020: Noon to 3:30 p.m. (ET)

The second webinar will highlight the essential components of care for depression, alcohol use disorders, and opioid use disorders in primary care settings. Register for the second webinar here.

Moderator

• Howard Goldman, M.D., Ph.D., University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Medicine

Speakers

• Frank deGruy, M.D., M.S., University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Sarah Wakeman, M.D., Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University
• Richard Saitz, M.D., MPH, FACP, DFASAM, Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health
• Lydia Chwastiak, M.D., MPH, University of Washington AIMS Center

The webinar will also discuss the key factors that support or impede the implementation of these essential components of care.

Moderator

• W. Perry Dickinson, M.D., University of Colorado Department of Family Medicine

Speakers

• Laura K. Murray, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• David Keller, M.D., University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Stacy Sterling, DrPH, MSW, MPH, Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research
• Suzanne Snyder, LCSW, Access Community Health Network

Part 3
August 26, 2020: Noon to 3:30 p.m. (ET)

The third webinar will explore improving the workforce to support the provision of essential components of care. Register for the third webinar here.

Moderator

• Alexander Ross, ScD, Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS

Speakers

• Phyllis Foxworth, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
• Carla Cobb, Pharm.D., BCPP, Capita Consulting (ACCP member)
• Parinda Khatri, M.D., Ph.D., Cherokee Health Systems

The webinar will also address financing, payment, practice, and systems-level issues, policies, and incentives to support the provision of these essential components of care.

Moderator

• Richard Frank, Ph.D., Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School

Speakers

• Kirsten Beronio, JD, National Association for Behavioral Healthcare
• Sharon Reif, Ph.D., M.A., Brandeis University
• Robert L. Phillips Jr, M.D., MSPH, American Board of Family Medicine