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A Critique of the Behavioral Health Disability System

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Abstract

A snapshot of the behavioral health (BH) spectrum reveals numerous factors that dramatically impede favorable treatment and disability leave outcomes. The managed care system was originally developed as a means to have the primary care physician (PCP) manage an individual’s health concerns. However, an unintended result has been that PCPs have become the primary professionals who are treating BH concerns. Thus, the primary care system has become the de facto mental health system in this country. Moreover, the additional aspects of poor diagnostic processes, treatment follow-up, and referrals to BH professionals further compound the poor treatment outcome issue. Additionally, the impact that insurers and the federal disability program, Social Security Administration, of both lengthy approval processes for needed services and the lack of incentives to facilitate the individual’s return to work have resulted in a problematic issue of great complexity.

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Correspondence to Pamela A. Warren .

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Warren, P.A. (2010). A Critique of the Behavioral Health Disability System. In: Warren, P. (eds) Behavioral Health Disability. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09814-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09814-2_1

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