Gov. Ned Lamont on Wednesday announced the creation of a new state office focused on eliminating barriers to behavioral health care in Connecticut and nominated Howard Sovronsky, a former social worker with leadership experience in both government and health care, as its inaugural head.
The Connecticut Office of the Behavioral Health Advocate will help residents access behavioral health services and help providers receive payments from insurers for the care they provide.
“Access to mental health services is one of the most pressing needs of our time, and it needs to be treated just as we do for any other physical health situation,” Lamont stated in a press release. “This new office will provide the residents of our state with an advocate to help break down the barriers that still stand in the way of true mental health equity.”
Most recently, Sovronsky served as chief behavioral health officer at Connecticut Children’s in Hartford, and he has more than 40 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker. He also worked in Nassau County, Long Island’s local government for two decades, including a stint as the commissioner of the county’s Department of Mental Health and Development Disabilities.
In his new role as the behavioral health advocate, Sovronsky wants to hear from people who receive behavioral health services about what improvements the system needs.
“The answers are out there. We have to be nimble enough and open enough to hear them,” Sovronsky told legislators during a confirmation hearing in March.
A national report published last year ranked Connecticut among the top 10 states for access to mental health care. Still, issues persist, particularly in the face of a “dramatic increase in demand” for services, Sovronsky told legislators.
“We should all be proud that Connecticut has one of the most highly developed behavioral health systems in the country,” he said. “Yet individuals and families continue to struggle, navigating a system that is fragmented and confusing.”
Last year, the state Office of Health Strategy found that roughly 1.5 million residents lived in areas where the demand for mental health services exceeded the capacity of local providers. Statewide, adults earning low incomes reported feeling chronically depressed at five times the rate of those earning high incomes. Demand for mental health services for children, in particular, continues to climb.
In his new role, Sovronsky will also help behavioral health providers receive timely payments from insurance carriers and advocate for greater access to behavioral health services.
In 2019, Connecticut passed a law requiring what’s known as “mental health parity,” meaning insurers cannot place greater restrictions on access to mental health services than on surgical or medical care. During the most recent legislative session, lawmakers added teeth to the measure, allowing the Insurance Commissioner to fine insurers up to $625,000 annually for noncompliance.
During a hearing earlier this year, behavioral health providers testified that they often hear from patients who can’t access treatment they need because payers are less likely to provide adequate coverage for mental health services.
