Searching for COVID-19 behavioral healthcare resources? We know as a Behavioral Healthcare organization you’re facing some unique challenges with COVID-19 in terms of your patient population and your varied settings.
Clearly, you want to continue to provide your much-needed behavioral health services. At the same time, you want to keep your staff and patients safe.
So, to assist in that effort, we’ve identified some COVID-19 behavioral healthcare resources that can help you face the challenge. The following is a brief description of each with links to the resource materials.
General COVID-19 Behavioral Healthcare Resources
Preparing Behavioral Health Organizations for Coronavirus – Joint Commission Webinar Replay is a great educational resource. It provides useful tips for minimizing the risk of COVID-19 in all types of behavioral healthcare settings. It’s a must-see for any Behavioral Healthcare organization.
Tips for Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation During an Infectious Disease Outbreak describes reactions individuals may experience to social distancing, quarantine, or isolation. It provides useful tips for dealing with these reactions.
COVID-19: Potential Implications for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders describes the increased risk COVID-19 presents for individuals with substance use disorders.
COVID-19 Behavioral Healthcare Resources for Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Programs
MAT programs, including opioid treatment programs (OTPs), combine medications and behavioral therapy to treat substance use disorders. The following are some resources from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):
Opioid Treatment Program Guidance discusses exceptions for OTPs to allow 14 and 28 day take-home medications.
OTP Guidance for Patients Quarantined at Home with the Coronavirus offers guidelines for safe delivery of medications to quarantined patients.
Provision of Methadone and Buprenorphine for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in the COVID-19 Emergency discusses exemptions to the current requirement for a physical exam at admission for patients being treated with buprenorphine. It also covers the use of telehealth in MAT programs.
Sample OTP COVID-19 FAQs provides recommendations re infection control procedures for OTPs. It also gives guidance on dosing patients with symptoms.
Use of Telemedicine While Providing Medication Assisted Treatment outlines requirements for telemedicine practitioners providing MAT.
COVID-19 Behavioral Healthcare Resources for Telehealth Providers
Best Practices for Telehealth During COVID-19 Public Health Emergency explains changes to federal guidelines to allow more practitioners to use telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Telepsychiatry and COVID-19 provides guidance from the American Psychiatric Association on the change by CMS to allow patients to be seen via live videoconferencing in their homes rather than traveling to a qualifying “originating site” for Medicare telehealth encounters.
COVID-19 Behavioral Healthcare Resources for Consumers
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers COVID-19 Information and Resources for consumers. It provides education and practical advice in response to questions from consumers about COVID-19.
In conclusion, we hope these resources are helpful. Most importantly, we wish good luck to all our behavioral healthcare colleagues continuing to serve their clients and doing their best to keep everyone in their settings safe and healthy.