NBCC Connects With Jim Laughman of ABHW

Over the past year, NBCC has been engaged in an ongoing dialogue with representatives of the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW) on an array of issues affecting both managed care behavioral health plans and the counseling profession. 

ABHW works with Congress, federal agencies, and other organizations to manage health care costs, advance policies to integrate behavioral and physical health, increase access to mental health services, reduce stigma, and support the prevention of mental illness and substance use disorders. Its member companies provide coverage to more than 200 million people.

As part of NBCC’s engagement activities with ABHW, NBCC invited James Laughman, President and CEO of PerformCare (a member company of ABHW), to speak with Dr. Kylie Dotson-Blake, the President and CEO of NBCC and Affiliates. The goal of the interview was to further flesh out key issues at the interface of the managed care behavioral health community and counselors, such as specific barriers—pain points—that health plans are encountering in engaging counselors to participate in health plan provider networks and obstacles that counselors are encountering in joining insurance panels.

“The interview with Mr. Laughman demonstrates NBCC’s and ABHW’s commitment to work together to identify solutions to address the needs and promote the interests of both the counseling community and health plan industry to improve mental health delivery to clients,” Dr. Dotson-Blake said. “NBCC will continue to spotlight the attributes of counselors to the health plan industry through collaborative activities with ABHW.”

A video of the discussion is available here.