In the United States over 43 million people suffer from mental illness and more than half of them do not have access to treatment. A key resource for assisting those suffering from mental health issues are community health centers, which are used by nearly 25 million Americans. Access to these centers has grown rapidly from 20 million in 2010.
In 1963, the Community Mental Health Act was signed into law by John F. Kennedy. This act significantly altered the delivery of mental health services and generated a new era of behavioral health. This favored the funding of mental health centers for patients who don’t have insurance or have reduced coverage. With the passage of the act, community health centers began receiving a significant amount of federal funding, which led to an increase in the number of Medicaid patients being served. Community health centers play a key role in serving federally designated underserved areas and populations. Today there are about 1000 health centers that operate 6000 sites across America. A challenge the community health centers face is that often they are rural therefore find it hard to find a psychiatrists service to help with the needed mental health coverage.
By providing access to psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and other mental health providers, Advanced Telemed Services can help community health centers deliver outstanding care to patients in need, even in remote areas. Advanced Telemed connects with community health centers to provide excellent patient care through telepsychiatry service.