The demand for mental health and substance use services is growing, requiring more clinicians and alternative support roles like coaches and peers.

In this episode of the AHIP 2024 series, Solome Tibebu, founder and CEO of Behavioral Health Tech, discusses the importance of payer partnerships with digital health innovators in behavioral health. She emphasizes the need for collaboration to ensure members are directed to the right services, particularly for specialized conditions like eating disorders and OCD, while also highlighting the role of technology, health equity, and innovation in expanding access to mental health, substance use, and IDD care. Solome underscores the success of pioneering plans like NovaWell in reaching underserved populations, including young people and people of color, but notes the ongoing challenges with payment codes and reimbursement. She also stresses the need for more clinicians to meet the rising demand for mental health services and suggests that coaches and peers can help fill this gap, though many payers are not yet reimbursing for these roles.

Tune in and learn how collaboration and innovation are shaping the future of behavioral health!