Behavioral Health

The LaSOR 2.0 grant allows the State to continue addressing the needs of residents facing the challenges of opioid and stimulant use and misuse — a population which has faced increased difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, Brent Ambacher shared his recovery story in honor of National Recovery Month, observed every September as a time to increase awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders and to celebrate the people who recover. The Department of Health is reprinting his story as the state celebrates Recovery Month 2020.

During Recovery Month, the Department of Health wants the public to know that recovery is possible by promoting resources that are available to anyone who needs help coping with an addiction or mental illness.

The charge of Act 158 of the 2015 Regular Legislative Session was to provide transparency relative to Medicaid managed care programs. Within the Office of Behavioral Health (OBH), this involves the Coordinated System of Care (CSoC) program. Magellan Health Services of Louisiana, Inc. (Magellan) administers the CSoC program. This report outlines responses to the requests made by the legislature in Act 158 relative to Magellan's management of care within CSoC program.

"ATLAS provides families with standardized information on the quality of treatment facilities, helping you to find the facility that is best for you or your loved one," said Karen Stubbs, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Behavioral Health.

No area has been spared in the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the most vulnerable populations is those with addiction. Louisiana rapidly jumped into problem-solving mode to ensure vital services continue to be provided to those with addiction.

A new, counseling text line is now available to provide free, confidential, 24/7 support for people in crisis. All someone has to do is text REACHOUT (all caps together) to 741741 to connect to a trained crisis counselor who will help individuals de-escalate, identify coping strategies and who will use active listening techniques.