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By Eric Bailly, LPC, LADC NorthStar Behavioral Health Advisory | Navigating complex social systems so that all communities may thrive When it comes to our healthcare delivery system in the United States, frustration is easy to find. Rising insurance premiums, reduced funding for safety-net programs, and uncertainty surrounding critical access hospitals have become familiar headlines. For those of us working to improve behavioral health access and integration, these challenge

When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was first introduced, it fundamentally reshaped how millions of Americans accessed and paid for healthcare. By expanding the availability of premium tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies, the ACA not only made coverage attainable for lower- and middle-income individuals, it redefined how behavioral health services could be delivered with consistency and dignity. Now, as Congress debates the future of these subsidies, the stakes could not be

Recently, I stumbled upon a YouTube episode hosted by the popular Dr. Mike , who spent time with Dr. Eric Bender , a psychiatrist known for advising media outlets on accurately depicting mental illness. This is an area I’ve always found fascinating—especially how mental illness and substance misuse are portrayed in movies and television. I can’t count how many times I’ve been struck by the incredible inaccuracies: movies offering quick, tidy solutions to complex behavioral

Really? What does farming have to do with substance use harm reduction? I’ll connect the dots, I promise. Like many of you, I like to...

As September draws to a close, we wrap up another National Recovery Month —a time when individuals, families, and communities lift up the...

This past weekend, I had the honor of serving as a faculty fellow for The Washington Center ’s 2025 Health Policy Immersion in...

Welcome to The Guiding Star Blog! 35 years ago, I made a decision which transformed my life trajectory, and solidified my path forward....