Association for Behavioral Healthcare

03/17/2026

Congratulations to Carmel Craig, Vice President for Mental Health Services at ABH, for her appointment to the Mass. Special Commission on Access to Behavioral Health Services for Children and Families! She will represent ABH on the Commission, studying and proposing recommendations to improve access to behavioral health services for children and families across the Commonwealth.

03/16/2026

Access to nourishing foods directly impacts behavioral health. Many low-income individuals can’t afford healthy foods, leaving them more susceptible to behavioral health issues.

03/06/2026

Chuck Ingoglia, National Council for Mental Wellbeing President and CEO, champions the Ensuring Excellence in Mental Health Act in a recent opinion piece in The Hill.

The Act would increase access to Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics throughout the country, a proven model used in Mass. to provide accessible, 24/7 mental health and substance use disorder care:
https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/5675870-improving-access-mental-health/.

A bipartisan coalition of senators has introduced the Ensuring Excellence in Mental Health Act, which would expand Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) to provide comprehensive, 2…

03/03/2026

“Too often, we hear these [direct care] professionals tell us that while they are dedicated to those they serve and that their work is crucial, they have no choice but to leave for far less demanding roles at a big box store or in fast food, which also pay more. With every departure, it makes it harder for our agencies to meet their mission.”

Read more in a Boston Business Journal op-ed by James Cassetta, President of WORK Inc., and Kevin Martone, President and CEO of Bay Cove Human Services: https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2026/01/23/cuts-to-human-services-create-unacceptable-risk.html (paywalled).

Two Massachusetts human services leaders warn workforce shortages and low wages threaten programs for vulnerable residents amid state budget pressures.

02/26/2026

Paul Bertau Cornely was the first Black American elected as President of the American Public Health Association. He was a founder of the National Student Health Association, President of the Physician’s Forum, and founder/first president of the District of Columbia Public Health Association.

Dr. Cornely dedicated his life’s work to developing public health initiatives to reduce disparities in healthcare for underserved communities.

02/18/2026

Psychologists Mamie Phipps Clark and Kenneth Bancroft Clark’s invaluable research advanced the Civil Rights movement. Their research demonstrated the psychological harms of school segregation and was used as evidence in the supreme court case Brown vs. The Board of Education.

The Clarks were the first Black Americans to obtain doctoral degrees in psychology from Columbia University.

02/11/2026

Follow along during as we spotlight Black American pioneers in the behavioral health sector, beginning with Bebe Moore Campbell.

Campbell was a mental health advocate, author, journalist and teacher. Her advocacy shed light on the unique behavioral health needs and experiences of the Black community and other marginalized populations.

02/03/2026

Listen to a recent discussion featuring Kate Walsh, former Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services, and moderated by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health on healthcare access in the wake of Medicaid cuts and other policy changes: https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/whats-at-stake-for-health-care-reform-insights-from-florida-and-massachusetts/.

Health care access, costs, and coverage – particularly for lower-income Americans – are expected to undergo dramatic changes in the next few years. Enhanced

01/30/2026

Find free technical and training assistance for behavioral healthcare professionals, provided by SAMHSA here: https://www.samhsa.gov/technical-assistance.

01/28/2026

Medication for substance use disorder can reduce cravings, ease withdrawal, and support long-term recovery.

Find information, training, and support resources for providers administering medication to treat substance use disorders here: https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/treatment/resources/provider-support.

SAMHSA

01/27/2026

The most recent Mass. opioid-related overdose death data indicates the largest decline in deaths since 2013, coinciding with an uptick in evidence-based approaches to treatment.

Recovery is a journey, but it is possible. Community-based care makes treatment accessible to all populations.

01/21/2026

Steven Winn, president and CEO of ABH member organization Behavioral Health Network, Inc., calls on elected officials to maintain funding for “lifesaving and life sustaining services to children, adults and families living with mental health, substance use disorder and developmental disabilities.”

Read more in Winn’s letter to the editor published by MassLive and The Springfield Republican (paywalled): https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2026/01/a-profound-duty-of-the-american-citizenry-letters-to-the-republican.html.

Readers also comment on the Supreme Court helping Trump, behavioral health care in crisis, student risk at PVPA, ICE tactics, Venezuela and the killing of Renee Good.