Behavioral Health Load Balancing in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is facing a behavioral health boarding crisis that is putting strain on the healthcare system. By conducting a data analysis of the available behavioral health beds, total behavioral health beds, and numbers of boarders, this strain is clearly stated by the data gathered in this study. In order to lower the burden on the healthcare system, a load balancing system could be set-up to facilitate loadshedding of behavioral health patients. Lessons learned from setting up existing load balancing systems, barriers to setting up load balancing systems, and solutions to these barriers are important for understanding how this type of system would be established. Through an e-interview process, answers to these questions are provided to help guide the process of setting up a behavioral health load balancing system in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.