• Center on Health Equity & Access
  • Clinical
  • Health Care Cost
  • Health Care Delivery
  • Insurance
  • Policy
  • Technology
  • Value-Based Care

Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Youth Behavioral Health Strategy Program

Commentary
Podcast

Chris Barton, LCSW, of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, explores how the Youth Behavioral Health Strategy program focuses on addressing the specific needs of youth with mental health and substance use issues through a comprehensive approach.

In this episode of the Managed Care Cast podcast series Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity, Chris Barton, LCSW, the senior director of Integrated Systems of Care & Network Innovation at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, discusses the Youth Behavioral Health Strategy program at Horizon.

The program focuses on addressing the specific needs of youth with mental health and substance use issues through a comprehensive approach structured around 5 key pillars: prevention, early identification and intervention, whole child care, parent and support systems, and community engagement. Launched in response to the escalating youth mental health crisis, exacerbated by factors like social isolation, the program has been operational for 2 years, emphasizing both community-based and virtual resources tailored to meet the needs of youth and their supporting family members.

This includes intensive outpatient treatments, cognitive behavioral therapy, and virtual platforms like MindCare to enhance accessibility, especially for underserved populations. Horizon's initiative aims to not only mitigate immediate mental health challenges but also foster long-term support and resilience among youth and their families.

Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity episodes:

Trans and Gender Diverse Health Care

Immigrant Health

Urban Health Outreach

Listen above or on one of these podcast services:

iTunes
TuneIn
Stitcher
Spotify

Related Videos
Senator Vincent Polistina (R, New Jersey)
Screenshot of a webinar panel discussion with Viet Le, PA-C; Nathan Wong, PhD, MPH; Alison Bailey, MD; and Martha Gulati, MD, MS
Mehmet Oz, MD, MBA
Hira Ghani, DO, discusses underdiagnosed skin conditions in children
Nicole Bajic, MD
World Hepatitis Day graphic | Image Credit: uazzal - stock.adobe.com
Dr Sundar Jagannath
Michael Hassett, MD, MPH, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Senator Vincent Polistina (R, New Jersey)
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences
AJMC®
All rights reserved.