Newswise — Behavioral healthcare systems are playing a major role in responding to the needs of the millions of Americans of all ages who experience psychiatric and substance use conditions each year, according to the latest annual survey from the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS) released this week.
The 2006 NAPHS Annual Survey provides two distinct views of behavioral healthcare delivery. One chapter provides a trend analysis that looks at changes from year to year in hospitals and freestanding residential treatment centers reporting over a two-year period. Another chapter provides a snapshot of all members' experiences in 2005. This chapter also presents selected data by set-up-and-staffed bed categories to help organizations compare their own experiences to those of facilities of a similar size.
Trend analysis shows stability in behavioral healthcare delivery. Hospital lengths of stay, for example, remained steady at 9.6 days in both 2004 and 2005. Inpatient hospital admissions increased 0.6% in the same time frame (to an average of 2,652), and average total days of care increased 1.7% (to an average of 25,047).
Trend analysis also points to continued strong demand for services. For example, to better meet strong demand for behavioral health care, hospitals have been adding beds and/or activating licensed beds within existing facilities. Trend analysis shows a 5% increase in licensed beds and a 7% increase in set-up and staffed beds within member facilities reporting in 2004 and 2005.
The survey also demonstrates great diversity of services, levels of care, and payer sources for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults experiencing mental and substance use disorders. In addition to hospital-level care, NAPHS-member facilities provide residential care, partial hospitalization, and outpatient care. These facilities also offer a comprehensive array of community services, including substance use services, special education, housing, and case management. Payer sources include Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, state governments, and others such as juvenile justice systems.
The report is $400—prepaid—from the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems, 701 13th Street, NW, Suite 950, Washington, DC 20005-3903. MasterCard, Visa, and American Express are accepted. Call 202/393-6700, ext. 106, for ordering information or see http://www.naphs.org.
NAPHS advocates for behavioral health and represents provider systems that are committed to the delivery of responsive, accountable, and clinically effective prevention, treatment, and care for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults with mental and substance use disorders. NAPHS members are behavioral healthcare provider organizations that own or manage more than 600 psychiatric hospitals, general hospital psychiatric and addiction treatment units and behavioral healthcare divisions, residential treatment facilities, youth services organizations, and extensive outpatient networks. The association was founded in 1933.
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