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During the week of July 7, 2026, I had the opportunity to participate in a convening at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. The gathering, titled “Called to Care: Strengthening Faith and Behavioral Health as Social Infrastructure for Recovery,” brought together behavioral health professionals, faith leaders, advocates, organizational executives, policy experts, people with lived experience, and representatives from at least two Tribal Nations.

Some places enter your life slowly. They do not announce themselves all at once. They arrive through winding roads, quiet conversations, stories told across conference tables, and the steady witness of people who keep showing up for one another even when the weight they carry would be enough to break many communities. Eastern Kentucky has become one of those places for me. My connection to Kentucky began through work connected to the opioid overdose epidemic and the dow

This is the third and final blog in NorthStar Behavioral Health Advisory’s series examining the 2026 Pain in the Nation Report from Trust for America’s Health. In Part One, we looked at the national picture and the fragile but meaningful progress reflected in recent declines in alcohol-induced deaths, drug overdose deaths, and suicide deaths. In Part Two, we looked at the state-level data and why geography matters when designing behavioral health strategy. Now, we turn

In Part One of this series, we looked at the national picture from the 2026 Pain in the Nation Report from Trust for America’s Health. The national data told us something important: the United States may be at a turning point. Deaths related to alcohol, drugs, and suicide declined in 2024, and that progress is meaningful. But national data only tells part of the story. Behavioral health is experienced locally. It is shaped by the state someone lives in, the community they c

This blog is the first in a three-part NorthStar Behavioral Health Advisory series examining the report through three different lenses: the national picture, the state-level implications, and what the findings mean for behavioral health providers. Each perspective matters because lasting change will require more than awareness of the data. It will require practical action across policy, payment, prevention, treatment, recovery, and community-based systems of care. The behav

The release of the House Appropriations Committee’s fiscal year 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill offers an early but important signal for behavioral health organizations. To be clear, this is not the final word. The House recommendation must still move through the broader appropriations process and be reconciled with the Senate. Funding levels, program language, and priorities may change before any final agreement is enacted. But eve

On April 7th, I had the opportunity to moderate a full day of panels at the Inaugural Behavioral Health AI Summit. Over the course of five sessions, we explored how artificial intelligence is showing up across the entire patient journey—from the moment someone begins searching for care, all the way through clinical documentation, financial sustainability, compliance, and workforce support. It was one of those rare days where you’re not just hearing isolated ideas—you’re watch

Each year, the National Rx and Illicit Drug Summit brings together a diverse cross-section of leaders committed to addressing one of the most complex public health challenges of our time—the opioid overdose epidemic and broader substance use crisis. This year’s Summit held particular meaning for me, as I had the opportunity to engage in three distinct roles: moderator, main-stage panelist, and advisory board member. Each role offered a different vantage point into the same

Later this April, I’ll be joining a panel at NATCON 2026 titled “Building Payer Partnerships That Deliver: A Practical SUD Playbook.” This session brings together perspectives from across the ecosystem—payer, provider, policy, and data—to focus on one of the most important (and often misunderstood) areas in behavioral health today: how to design value-based reimbursement models that actually work. The conversation around value-based care in behavioral health—particularly su

Throughout the day at the 2026 BH AI Summit , we’ll explore how artificial intelligence is beginning to influence nearly every part of the behavioral health ecosystem. From helping people find treatment, to improving clinical documentation, to strengthening financial operations and governance, AI is gradually becoming embedded in the infrastructure that supports behavioral health care. But we will close the day by focusing on something even more important than technology: The

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of the behavioral health ecosystem. From patient engagement tools and digital assessments to clinical documentation and revenue cycle analytics, AI is beginning to touch nearly every part of the treatment journey. But with that innovation comes an equally important responsibility: ensuring that these tools are safe, secure, and ethically deployed. At the 2026 BH AI Summit , I’ll be moderating a panel that focuses on one of the

As part of this year’s National Rx and Illicit Drug Summit , I’ll be moderating a panel on Wednesday, April 8th from 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM in Delta Ballroom C at the Gaylord Opryland and Resort in Nashville, TN focused on a topic that is both foundational—and too often overlooked—in our behavioral health system: The role of families in supporting recovery from substance use disorder (SUD). This session will bring together a distinguished panel including Peter Gaumond , John K

When people think about innovation in behavioral health care, they often focus on clinical breakthroughs, new therapeutic approaches, or emerging technologies that support patient engagement. But behind every clinical interaction lies something equally important: the financial systems that make care possible. Behavioral health organizations must constantly balance mission and sustainability. Services must not only deliver meaningful outcomes for patients—they must also be rei

One of the most common frustrations clinicians express across healthcare—particularly in behavioral health—is the burden of documentation. Many clinicians entered the field because they wanted to help people. Yet over time, the growth of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and administrative requirements has created a reality where providers often feel pulled away from the very thing that matters most: being present with their patients. At the 2026 BH AI Summit , I’ll have the

On April 7, 2026 , I will have the opportunity to moderate a panel at the 2026 BH AI Summit titled: “AI in the Patient Journey: AI and Patient Acquisition.” The session will take place from 10:45–11:30 AM in the Tennessee Ballroom at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center and will feature an outstanding group of leaders who are actively working at the intersection of behavioral health, technology, and patient engagement. One of the most important realities in behav

Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming part of the behavioral health landscape. From the way patients search for care to how clinicians document sessions, manage revenue cycle operations, and support workforce sustainability, AI is beginning to influence nearly every stage of the treatment journey. On April 7th 2026, I will have the opportunity to moderate a full day of panel discussions at the 2026 BH AI Summit , hosted by HMP Global. The summit brings together leaders

For years, rural and chronically underserved communities have been asked to do more with less. Fewer providers. Longer travel times. Narrower reimbursement margins. And growing behavioral health needs layered on top of chronic disease, economic instability, and workforce shortages. Against that backdrop, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcement of $50 billion in Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) awards is more than a funding update. It is a si

As the year wraps up, I’ve been thinking about some of the topics featured in the NorthStar Behavioral Health Advisory blog posts over the past few months, and what they say about where behavioral health response is right now and where it's headed. One thing became clear quickly: our response to behavioral health issues don't exist in a vacuum . Policy changes, payer decisions, data, clinical practice, and lived experience are all connected. Each post this year was an attem

Over the past several months, one message has come through loud and clear: for behavioral health organizations to survive—and truly serve their communities—they must diversify how they bring in revenue. This need is growing as organizations prepare for reduced funding from government health plans, shrinking ACA coverage, and smaller pools of philanthropic dollars. So what does revenue diversification actually mean? The honest answer is: it depends. Every organization has a u

Over the weekend of November 8–9, I had the privilege of participating in the Kick-Off for the SAFE Project Collegiate Recovery Leadership Academy (CRLA) 2026 cohort in Washington, D.C.—a fitting backdrop for students learning to connect their campus initiatives to the broader strategies shaping addiction and recovery systems across our country. This marks my sixth year serving as a mentor , and over that time I’ve witnessed the program’s steady evolution, one that mirrors