Psychiatric Disabilities/Mental Illness

On September 26, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) designated people with disabilities as a population with health disparities for research supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Designated populations experience significant disparities in their rates of illness, morbidity, mortality and survival, driven by social disadvantage, compared to the health status of the general population. This designation is one of several steps the NIH is taking to address health disparities experienced by people with disabilities and to ensure representation in NIH research studies.

A recent study featured in the "Journal of Education and Work" aims to address the lack of longitudinal studies on the employment outcomes of long-term disabled individuals. While previous research has primarily focused on transitional factors and individual-level characteristics, this study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of disabled individuals' labor market experiences over time and across their life course. Leveraging social sequence analysis and extensive Norwegian longitudinal registry data spanning 24 years, the research is dedicated to identifying, describing, and forecasting stable employment paths among young individuals with disabilities, with particular attention to exploring the impact of gender...

Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE) has released a new resource titled "What Can State Agencies Do? A Step-by-Step Implementation Guide for State Agencies." This guide offers practical steps that state agencies can follow to promote awareness of disability-inclusive workplace policies and practices, both internally and externally. This initiative is a collaborative effort among various organizations aiming to showcase supportive workplaces that are inclusive for all workers.

The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) has released a toolkit highlighting the significance of promoting mental health equity in the workplace, particularly for underserved communities. The organization's recently updated Mental Health Toolkit offers a structured approach, centered around the "4 A's" framework—awareness, accommodations, assistance, and access—to help employers create a mental health-supportive workplace culture. The toolkit addresses challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasizes strategies for acknowledging and addressing systemic issues, providing summaries of research, case studies, and accessible resources for initiating workplace mental health initiatives.

The Aging and Disability Business Institute, in collaboration with the Partnership to Align Social Care and the Camden Coalition, has released a new resource guide that emphasizes the importance of addressing health-related social needs (HRSN) and details the benefits of partnering with community-based organizations (CBOs) and community care networks for health plans. This comprehensive guide outlines how CBOs serve as powerful innovation partners, foster trust with members, offer a significant return on investment, provide greater efficiency in coverage through community care networks, and contribute to securing public contracts. This resource serves as a practical tool for health plans looking to establish meaningful collaborations with..

The Department of Labor (DOL) has published an article highlighting the representation of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander workers with disabilities in skilled trade professions. The analysis, conducted as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Good Jobs Initiative, reveals that approximately 56,000 individuals from these communities, comprising 18%, are employed in skilled trade professions. The article explores various aspects, including common trade professions, age distributions by gender, primary industry sectors employing these workers, and wage disparities between disabled and non-disabled individuals across occupational categories.

This Health Affairs article, written by Katie McEvoy of the National Association of Medicaid Directors argues for structural stability and continued federal financial support for Medicaid. The article highlights the importance of Medicaid in supporting older adults and people with disabilities, its important role in Health Care Infrastructure And State Economies, and the public support for the program.

This report is the most comprehensive and representative assessment of self-reported outcomes among older adults and people with physical disabilities receiving publicly funded LTSS since 2018. These data were collected from 13,663 people between June 2021 and July 2022. The sample includes individuals from 15 regionally representative states and a variety of LTSS programs, including: Medicaid HCBS, Nursing Facilities, and Older Americans Act recipients.

A new article from the Centers for Health Care Strategies explores a new effort to improve and align care across California Medicaid. The article explores racial disparities in access to and quality of LTSS, integration of dually eligible individuals, and more.

ADvancing States is pleased to announce the release of a new report, Advancing Equity through MLTSS Programs, co-authored with Impact 120. This report highlights the numerous ways that managed long-term services and supports (MLTSS) programs can enhance state capacity to create more equitable programs for consumers. Research and interviews identified five key themes, which are explored in detail with recommendations for future action.