According to a 2020 research study, approximately 65 to 90 percent of nursing home residents are affected by behavioral health (BH) disorders. When examining the availability of BH services, the study found that of the participating nursing homes, one-third had unmet BH service needs; almost half lacked appropriate staff with BH education; more than 30 percent reported inadequate care coordination with community providers; and 26.2 percent lacked adequate infrastructure for referrals/transport of residents. The study concluded there was a need for initiatives that increase access to BH providers and services and improve education for nursing home staff.1
In April 2022, SAMHSA announced availability of a Cooperative Agreement for the Center of Excellence for Building Capacity in Nursing Facilities to Care for Residents with Behavioral Health Conditions (COE-NF). The COE-NF will aid with resource development and dissemination, training and technical assistance, and workforce development for staff serving individuals with serious mental illness (SMI), serious emotional disturbance (SED), substance use disorders (SUD), or co-occurring disorders (COD).2 With data indicating a 54 percent increase in the prevalence of nursing home residents with a SMI from 2007-2017,3 SAMHSA believes this program will not only help to strengthen effective behavioral health practices leading to better outcomes for nursing home residents with SMI, SED, SUD, or COD, but also help to ensure the availability of evidence-based training and technical assistance addressing mental health disorder identification, treatment, and recovery support services.
In September 2022, SAMHSA awarded Alliant Health Solutions the cooperative agreement to create the national COE-NF. Beginning spring 2023, the COE-NF will provide training and resources to skilled nursing facility staff who care for residents with a variety of behavioral health conditions. The program goals are to:
Training resources and topics include, customized support plans based on facility and staff needs, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services F-Tag Behavioral Health Regulations, trauma-informed care, suicide prevention, behavioral health equity, increasing a facility's ability to meet Quality Assessment Performance Improvement (QAPI) goals, de-escalation techniques, workforce development, alignment with nationally recognized partners with mental health and substance use expertise and resources, and other mental health and substance use topics.4 The COE-NF will also provide access to: