At the Kennedy Forum’s Alignment for Progress Summit, leaders reaffirmed the organization’s ambitious “90-90-90” goals for systemic transformation of mental health care in the United States: 90% of individuals screened for mental health conditions, 90% referred to appropriate care and 90% engaged in the recovery process by 2033. The discussions at the summit were substantive and forward-thinking, focused on strengthening data infrastructure, improving measurement-based care, innovating workforce development, and addressing persistent challenges in access and quality of care.
Strengthen data infrastructure and interoperability
Building a strong data infrastructure that goes beyond traditional event and claims data is essential for modernizing mental health care. The current system too often relies on retrospective data, which limits its ability to predict patient needs or provide proactive care. At the summit, speakers emphasized the importance of interoperable data systems, advocating for the adoption of frameworks like the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA).
Interoperability allows providers to share clinical and non-clinical data across the entire ecosystem, from primary care to specialty mental health services. When data flows seamlessly, it improves both population-level analysis and individual care coordination, enabling organizations to deliver the right interventions at the right time. For organizations like Lucet, aligning with TEFCA and other interoperability standards could revolutionize the way mental health care is delivered, ensuring that each patient receives care based on real-time, actionable insights.
Drive measurement-based care (MBC)
The implementation of measurement-based care is often superficial. Many organizations rely on basic, one-size-fits-all tools that fail to capture the complexity of mental health conditions. By adopting tools that track a patient’s functional status, treatment effectiveness and overall recovery, organizations can provide more nuanced, personalized care. These tools also offer clinicians a clearer picture of whether interventions are working, allowing for real-time treatment adjustments that keep patients on the path to recovery. For Lucet, adopting MBC tools not only enhances patient engagement but also refines care programs to produce better outcomes. These tools are also crucial for tracking long-term recovery, a key metric that is often overlooked in mental health care.
Engage and empower the broader workforce
A significant topic that came up at the summit was the need to innovate workforce development by engaging non-licensed clinicians and peer support specialists. By creating new pathways for individuals like wellness coaches or pre-license clinical psychologists, the system can alleviate the strain on licensed clinicians, allowing them to focus on more acute cases.
For organizations looking to expand mental health services to underserved populations, incorporating peer support specialists or subclinical roles is a game-changer. These roles can provide meaningful support, especially for those dealing with less severe mental health issues, while maintaining the supervision of licensed clinicians. This strategy also helps to extend care into communities that may otherwise be overlooked.
“For organizations looking to expand mental health services to underserved populations, incorporating peer support specialists or subclinical roles is a game-changer.”
Nick Bluhm, JD – Vice President of Legal & Regulatory
Address challenges in access and quality of care
Access and quality of care remain some of the most pressing challenges in mental health today. Health organizations must develop nuanced programs that differentiate between various care modalities and settings. Each care level — from residential care to partial hospitalization to intensive outpatient care — serves a unique purpose. Organizations must develop programs that optimize access and treatment quality for each, and continuously assess and refine these programs based on outcome data.
Digital therapeutics and remote care models are also critical for closing the care gap, especially in underserved or rural populations. These interventions, when backed by robust data, can deliver care that is both clinically impactful and cost-effective. As digital care models become more prominent, organizations should invest in these technologies and measure their success with meaningful data.
Another strategy to improve access is to fund school-based care. Schools often serve as a first line of defense in mental health crises, particularly for youth. Ensuring that care delivered in schools is both accessible and well-funded is crucial for preventing larger mental health issues down the line.
The summit was energizing and optimistic about the future of mental health care delivery, reaffirming our work here at Lucet — ensuring that every patient, regardless of their circumstances, has access to the care they need.
Nick Bluhm, JD is vice president of legal and regulatory at Lucet, The Behavioral Health Optimization Company.
