May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And I want to say something that does not get said enough. We do not have an awareness problem anymore. We have an avoidance problem. That distinction matters.  Until we name it honestly, we will keep celebrating awareness while the people who need care most remain out of reach. … Read more

I’ve spent years listening to behavioral health providers describe the gap between the care they want to deliver and the systems they’re working with. That gap shows up everywhere, but nowhere is it more consequential than in opioid treatment programs. OTPs operate at a level of clinical and regulatory complexity that most healthcare settings never … Read more

The Rapid Acceleration of Technology in Behavioral Health Not long ago, documentation in many behavioral health organizations was still largely paper-based. Then came the electronic health record. Now we are entering the era of the SMART intelligent health record and a broader ecosystem of connected technology. The pace of change has been extraordinary. In less … Read more

Why This Rural Health Moment Feels Personal When I was growing up in the Missouri Ozarks, mental health care was something you planned your life around. If someone in my family needed help, it usually meant driving two or three counties away. You packed the day. You took time off work. You hoped the appointment … Read more