Blueprint Autumn 2021

aWordwith Curtis Barnett
Our President and Chief Executive Officer
Why Behavioral Health?
This past July, the Blue & You
Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas
committed $5.29 million in support
of six Arkansas-based partners and
leaders to expand behavioral health
resources across our state.
This is the largest one-time investment
ever made through the Blue & You
Foundation, and it all goes toward
innovative behavioral health programs
led by established and proven
Arkansas-based organizations. You
can read more about these programs
on pages 8 and 9.
Following the announcement, several
people asked me why – in a state
with so many critical health needs –
the Foundation selected behavioral
health as such a high priority. I want
to share what motivated us to focus
on behavioral health.
It is not an exaggeration to say that
Arkansas and the rest of the U.S.
have been experiencing a behavioral
health crisis for quite some time.
Behavioral health is the broader
term used to describe mental health
conditions such as depression,
anxiety and trauma, and substance
use disorders characterized by
overuse of drugs or alcohol.
The National Alliance for Mental
Illness (NAMI) reports that more
than 25 percent of all U.S. adults
experience some type of behavioral
health disorder. For the Millennial
generation, which includes adults
between the ages of 25 and 40, the
rate is even higher, nearly one-third.
Yet, 60 percent of those in need do
not receive care for their condition
each year.
Behavioral health is a significant
health equity issue. While most
minority groups, especially African
Americans and Hispanic Americans,
report lower rates of behavioral
health conditions than White
Americans, this is not a result of
any individual or group behavior.
Instead, it is primarily due to the
under-diagnosis of behavioral health
conditions for these groups driven
principally by access and stigma.
The behavioral health crisis has
been made worse by the COVID-19
pandemic. Research published by
the Kaiser Family Foundation on the
implications of COVID-19 for mental
health and substance abuse showed
dramatic increases in rates of anxiety
and depression for adults during
the pandemic. It also predicted that
“today’s elevated mental health
need will continue well beyond the
coronavirus outbreak.” In Arkansas,
we see rates of depression and
anxiety among adults that exceed the
national averages.
Behavioral health plays a major role in
an individual’s ability to maintain good
physical health, especially for those
with chronic health conditions like
diabetes, asthma, heart disease and
lung disease. A report from the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation noted
that an estimated 84 percent of total
healthcare costs in the United States
can be attributed to the treatment
of chronic disease. We know that
Arkansas has some of the highest
rates of chronic disease in the nation.
Individuals with chronic disease
are twice as likely to also have
a behavioral health disorder. If
someone is depressed, anxious or
dealing with addiction, it is hard for
them to effectively care for their
chronic health condition. Physical
health and behavioral health are
intimately connected. You will not be
successful in addressing one unless
you address the other.
Impacting these statistics and
improving the quality of life for
Arkansans are part of what motivated
us to make such a significant
investment in behavioral health.
But there is also a very human side
to this crisis that deserves attention
and must be addressed.
For those in need of behavioral
healthcare, the challenges can
be overwhelming. The behavioral
healthcare system has struggled to
keep up with demand.
Too often, patients and their
families face a system that is
hard to understand, navigate and
access. A system marked by stigma,
fragmented care, high costs and
a shortage of clinicians. While we
have behavioral health providers
doing amazing work in our state,
we still have too many undiagnosed
and untreated people falling through
the cracks. Simply put, individuals
and families are suffering, and it is
affecting all aspects of their lives.
Most of us have been touched by a
behavioral health condition, either
personally or through a family
member or close friend. We have
witnessed the struggles and felt
the despair of trying to get help.
We believe every life deserves
hope! That’s the human side of the
behavioral health crisis and the part
that motivated us the most.
Behavioral health must be supported
in all stages of life – from early
childhood, through adolescence, and
into adulthood. (Continued on page 3)
2 AUTUMN 2021