About this course

Learning Objectives

• Summarize the historical timeline of insurance coverage for mental health care in the U.S.
• Identify key policies and legislation (e.g., Mental Health Parity Act, ACA) that have impacted access to mental health services.
• Analyze current statistical trends related to mental health insurance coverage and unmet needs.
• Evaluate the benefits and challenges of accepting insurance from a provider perspective.
• Describe strategies to reduce access barriers for clients within insurance-based care models.

Learning Levels

• Beginner

Target Audience

Course Instructor(s)

• 

  Alisa Trout, LMFT

  Alisa Trout is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with extensive experience in clinical operations, academic leadership, and provider training. As Director of Clinical Operations at Tava Health, she supervises a network of over 1,500 therapists, develops continuing education programs, and provides cross-functional leadership. With adjunct professor roles at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Jefferson University, Alisa specializes in curriculum design, evidence-based therapy techniques, and creating inclusive learning environments. Her career reflects a commitment to advancing mental health services through innovative education, trauma-informed care, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

• 

  Keyunda Washington

  Keyunda Washington, LMHC, QS is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over a decade of post-master’s experience supporting youth, families, and adults across school-based, community, and psychiatric settings. Her clinical expertise includes treating anxiety, depression, trauma, and PTSD, with a focus on culturally responsive care for BIPOC clients. Keyunda draws from cognitive-behavioral, holistic, and integrative treatment models in her work. She has provided services in both private practice and through contracts with EAPs and group health insurers. In addition to her clinical work, she has contributed to crisis intervention programs, school-based therapy, and vocational services. Known for her strong leadership, training, and interdisciplinary collaboration skills, she is passionate about empowering clients and enhancing access to quality mental health care.

• 

  Christie Cutshall

  Christie Cutshall, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker based in Eastern Tennessee with over nine years of experience supporting children, teens, families, and adults through a holistic, person-in-environment lens. She currently provides therapeutic services at the DePriest Center and has worked across a range of settings, including schools, juvenile justice programs, and medical and hospice care. Christie is trained in CBT, REBT, TF-CBT, and motivational interviewing, and is passionate about helping clients grow by supporting both individual and environmental change. She brings warmth, clinical insight, and a deep commitment to helping others thrive.

References

• American Journal of Public Health, May 2011: Structural racism and clinical diagnosis.
• Bell, M.L. (2004). The historical legacy of racism in psychiatric research and mental health care. Journal of the National Medical Association, 96(3), 386–392.
• Borum, R., & Grisso, T. (1996). Mental health training for law enforcement: A review of the literature and suggestion for research. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 23(1), 136–152.
• Gaines, K.K. (2020). Black patients and the legacy of Jim Crow psychiatry. American Journal of Psychiatry Residents’ Journal, 15(3), 2–4.
• Gary, F.A. (2005). Stigma: Barrier to mental health care among ethnic minorities. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 26(10), 979–999.
• Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Bureau of Health Workforce. “Shortage Areas: Mental Health HPSAs.” https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas
• HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Projections: https://bhw.hrsa.gov/data-research/projecting-health-workforce-supply-demand
• Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF): Mental Health Care Workforce by State
• Metzl, J.M. (2010). The Protest Psychosis: How Schizophrenia Became a Black Disease. Beacon Press.
• Washington, H.A. (2006). Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present.
• SAMHSA National Mental Health Services Survey (N-MHSS)
• Snowden, L.R. (2001). Barriers to effective mental health services for African Americans. Mental Health Services Research, 3(4), 181–187.
• Snowden, L.R., & Yamada, A.M. (2005). Cultural differences in access to care. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 143–166.
• United Way of the National Capital Area. (2020, July 8). *Mental healthcare access by state*. United Way NCA. Retrieved [Month Day, Year you accessed it], from https://unitedwaynca.org/blog/mental-healthcare-access-by-state/