Advancing access, care, and connection in behavioral health
Corbin Petro, president of Carelon Behavioral Health, explores the pressing challenges and promising innovations shaping the behavioral health landscape. She shares valuable insights on how healthcare organizations can better serve diverse populations and prepare for a more connected future.
The behavioral health landscape is facing unique challenges. More people than ever are seeking behavioral health services. With this growth, we are seeing not only an overall volume increase but also growth in needs for specialized services. The traditional system, on the other hand, is facing challenges like provider shortages and fragmented care models. As healthcare organizations try to address these obstacles, Carelon Behavioral Health is driving care forward with smarter, more connected, and more proactive solutions.
Expanding access and tackling provider challenges
An increase in the demand for behavioral services is at an all-time high — and expected to continue with as many as a quarter of Americans seeking these services by 2026. These needs, however, may go unmet. For example, a survey found that 60% of psychologists say they do not have the capacity to take on new patients. "Behavioral health is at an inflection point," says Corbin Petro, president of Carelon Behavioral Health. "It's 10 to 15 years behind the rest of healthcare in using metrics and measurement to determine the best outcomes at the best cost."
Tailoring care for subspecialty populations
People living with complex or chronic conditions face unique health challenges. Their treatments should be tailored to their diverse needs. Carelon is creating specialized clinical care pathways to offer the right interventions at the right time. These pathways combine clinical best practices, digital tools, peer support, and care coordination to address whole-person needs. By customizing care, members can experience improved health outcomes and are empowered to achieve longer-lasting progress.
Data-driven, innovative technology
According to Corbin Petro, “we have a huge amount of data that gives us an advantage to be able to surface when somebody might benefit from a proactive outreach or an intervention.” Carelon’s predictive models anticipates emerging needs and deploys targeted interventions before a crisis occurs. This could mean reaching out to a member who shows signs of a relapse related to substance abuse, offering additional support to someone managing depression, or coordinating care for an individual navigating co-occurring physical and behavioral health conditions.
Advancing whole-person care
At Carelon Behavioral Health, we know that caring for the whole person is key to improving overall health. "The brain and the body are not separate," says Petro. "Our goal is to drive people to the right services — not just behavioral health, but also physical and social supports — to benefit them as whole people."
Helping now, preparing for the future
Carelon Behavioral Health is working to embrace the changing needs of the behavioral health landscape and prepare for what’s on the horizon by embracing data, technology, and human-centered care to transform behavioral health delivery. Listen to Corbin Petro’s full interview with Becker’s below to learn more about how Carelon Behavioral Health is driving change.
