This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
APA, National Council support Clinton's mental health agenda
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The APA and National Council for Behavioral Health expressed strong support for the mental health agenda recently introduced by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
“The detailed mental health plan outlined by Hillary Clinton is sweeping in nature and, if enacted, would greatly improve the nation's mental health care system,” APA President Maria A. Oquendo, MD, said in a press release. “Her plan promotes early intervention and prevention, stronger enforcement of parity laws so psychiatric conditions are treated the same as other illnesses, and investments in brain and behavioral research. All of these measures are huge steps in the right direction.”
As part of her plan, Clinton pledged to hold a White House Conference on Mental Health within her first year of office. Other initiatives include:
- Early intervention efforts, such as the APA Foundation’s Typical or Troubled program;
- Development and implementation of comprehensive, high-quality community behavioral health centers in every state;
- New resources dedicated to training law enforcement how to respond to conflicts involving individuals with mental illness and increased support for law enforcement partnerships with mental health professionals;
- Increased efforts to provide support for children with behavioral problems in pediatric practices and schools;
- Establishing a national initiative led by the U.S. Surgeon General for suicide prevention;
- Efforts to increase integration between medical and behavioral health care systems and increase community-based treatment, including reimbursement for collaborative care models and addressing the shortage of mental health providers nationwide;
- Promoting use of health information technology to increase care coordination and the use of peer support specialists;
- Encouraging states to allow same-day billing for mental health and primary care services; and
- A pledge to enforce the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.
“The National Council for Behavioral Health has been pleased to see the attention to our nation’s mental health among elected officials and candidates,” Linda Rosenberg, PhD, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, said in a press release. “We applaud Secretary Clinton for giving us an inclusive plan that promotes early identification and intervention, ensures access in all communities to skilled staff delivering effective services, addresses the unchecked rise of suicides, offers the promise of technology, strengthens mental health and addiction parity and supports the research needed if we are going to make progress in the areas of prevention, treatment and recovery support.”
The APA also expressed support for the inclusion of mental health in the dialogue of the U.S. presidential election.
“We commend Secretary Clinton for showing that mental health is important to her by calling for a White House Conference on Mental Health within her first year of office,” Saul Levin, MD, MPA, CEO and medical director of the APA, said in the release. “This plan — through parity, prevention, early intervention, treatment and recovery — addresses the needs of every American who is affected directly or indirectly by mental illness.”