“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity,” said Albert Einstein. This is a truth witnessed over and over in the disruption caused by the pandemic. Indeed, amidst the fear and hardships, revelations of sparkling new ideas, technology, data-driven solutions and cross-discipline team cooperation led the behavioral health industry to a sea of change and opportunity. The second half of 2021 is an open door all about preparation and using the slowdown to address long-term problems. Below, consider the 2021 behavioral health challenges, which may have initially felt like slamming doors.

Although the coronavirus pandemic has imposed significant changes on the healthcare industry particularly in regards to behavioral and mental healthcare, historically behavioral healthcare parity has not been a priority for payers and, as a result, compliance, network adequacy, and use of value-based payments are all low, according to an Avalere survey.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, community behavioral health centers (CBHCs) have been struggling to meet rising demands for access to their services. Awareness of various behavioral health conditions is more important than ever. Finding solutions - like the community behavioral health EHR (electronic health record) - that help all community practices become more data-driven and efficient is key to success.

People with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) have traditionally suffered disproportionately during the COVID-19 pandemic. They remain at high risk of being overlooked as the world continues to respond to the crisis. I/DD provider organizations are facing a changing landscape with both new approaches to service delivery including the fast transition to offering services virtually. The intellectual/developmental disabilities EHR (electronic health record) is important for a managed transition to a new value-based model of whole-person care.

The entire healthcare industry has suddenly experienced new challenges that could not have been predicted, and behavioral healthcare is no exception. With today's focus on battling the pandemic, an efficient electronic health record (EHR) system is more important than ever before. Let's take a look at the advantages of investing in one today.

The behavioral health care industry is facing challenges now more than ever due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. With the increased demand for wrap-around services, efficient and seamless integration, and improved security, a valuable EHR is critical during this challenging time.