What we do
We have many programs to help with behavioral health - including mental health and substance use services - in the United States. We work with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to identify strategies to:
- Address key behavioral health priorities
- Propose policy solutions
- Manage these issues together across HHS
What guides our work
We want to make sure everyone can get the right mental health and substance use care, no matter their income or where they live. It’s important that everyone can get help when they need it. We're working to help people in rural and underserved areas who might not have easy access to care.
In 2022, President Biden launched a national plan to make accessing behavioral health care easier.
The plan has three parts:
- Improve our mental and behavioral health care system
- Help people find mental and behavioral health care
- Make the United States healthier for everyone
We support the President's plan by:
- Starting new programs to help health care workers with their mental health
- Training more people who look like the people they are giving behavioral health care
- Giving mental and behavioral health care where it’s needed
HHS’ behavioral health plan supports the President’s national plan to improve mental health care in the United States. HHS is committed to providing the full spectrum of integrated, equitable, evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and person-centered behavioral health care to the populations it serves. HHS has evaluated key barriers to transforming behavioral health care in line with President Biden’s Strategy to Address our National Mental Health Crisis and has identified policy solutions to overcome these barriers.
We support HHS' plan by:
- Training more people to provide behavioral health care
- Adding prevention programs
- Putting behavioral health care in in primary care settings
- Connecting with people who need mental and behavioral health care
Who we work with
We work with HHS to address behavioral health needs. These include:
- Overdose Prevention Strategy (OPS)
- HHS Behavioral Health Coordinating Council (BHCC)
- Opioid Rapid Response Program (ORRP)
What we focus on
Our programs focus on these areas and more:
- Child and adolescent mental health
- Maternal behavioral health
- Strengthening the behavioral health workforce
- Suicide Prevention
- Overdose Prevention
Contact us
If you have any questions or want to connect with us, please email Patsy Cunningham.