Provision of social care services by mental and behavioral health organizations

OBJECTIVE: Despite substantial interest in identifying and addressing patients' social needs in health care settings, little is known about the characteristics of mental health organizations associated with providing social care services (SCSs; i.e., services that may help to address patients' social needs). This study aimed to characterize the prevalence of 10 SCSs among mental health organizations in the United States. 

METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 2018-2020 National Mental Health Services Survey (2018, N=11,580; 2019, N=12,355; 2020, N=12,109 organizations) were used to characterize SCS provision by mental health organizations. Poisson and logistic regression analyses were used to identify characteristics of mental health organizations that were associated with SCS provision. 

RESULTS: The proportion of organizations offering SCSs increased between 2018 and 2020. The number and types of SCSs varied by organization type, ownership, primary treatment focus, and whether integrated treatment for co-occurring mental and substance use disorders was offered. For example, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers offered an average of 5.31 SCSs during the study period, compared with 2.27 offered by partial hospitalization or day treatment organizations. Public agencies offered an average of 3.95 SCSs, compared with 2.26 offered by private for-profits. 

CONCLUSIONS: This study examined the prevalence of SCSs provided by mental health organizations in order to promote research addressing the social needs of patients with mental illness. Extensive variation across organization types suggests that the uneven provision of social care may contribute to inequities in service access, indicating the need for policies and incentives to encourage SCS implementation.