System Transformation Issues | Mental Health America
Menu
Search
Print

You are here

Home

System Transformation Issues

Position Statement 11: In Support of Recovery-Based Systems Transformation

Policy

The Mental Health America (MHA) envisions a just, humane and healthy society in which all people are accorded respect, dignity and the opportunity to achieve their full potential free from stigma and prejudice. Consistent with this philosophy, Mental Health America supports and promotes services and systems that facilitate the recovery of people with mental health and substance use conditions.

Position Statement 15: Parity in Health Insurance

Policy

All people in America should have a right to health-care benefits, including needed behavioral health services. Mental Health America (MHA) calls on the federal and state governments to ensure, as a matter of law, that public and private health plans afford people access to needed behavioral health care and treatment on the same terms as surgical and other medical care. Such services should be subject to the same terms and conditions as care and treatment for any other condition, without regard to diagnosis, severity, or cause.

Position Statement 16: Addressing the Health- Related Social Needs of People with Mental Health and Substance Use Conditions

Policy Position

Mental Health America (MHA) calls for dedication of significant state and federal resources to reduce the alarmingly high rates of overall health problems (morbidity) and premature death (mortality) among people with serious mental illnesses. Recent studies demonstrate that with the addition of surveillance and treatment services, overall healthcare costs can actually be reduced, both in the near and long-term.

Position Statement 12: Evidence-Based Healthcare

Policy

Mental Health America (MHA) is dedicated to accelerating the application of scientific and practical knowledge to help in the recovery of people with mental health and substance use conditions. This focus on evidence-based healthcare spans the development, exposition, evaluation, replication, translation, dissemination and implementation of knowledge about mental health and substance use disorders and their treatment and includes all forms of knowledge, from randomized clinical trials through clinical practice and consumer insights.

Position Statement 18: Cultural and Linguistic Competency in Mental Health Systems

Policy

Mental Health America (MHA) believes that it is essential that all aspects of wellness promotion and mental health and substance use disorder prevention and treatment be reflective of the diversity of the communities being served and that mental health and substance abuse agencies strive to become and remain culturally and linguistically competent.

Position Statement 13: Integration of Mental and General Health Care

Policy

Mental Health America is committed to the principle that mental health is an essential part of every person's health and well-being and that every child, adult, and family should receive mental health and substance use prevention, early identification, treatment, and long-term support regardless of how they enter the healthcare system.

Position Statement 14: The Federal Government's Responsibilities for Mental Health Services

Policy Position

Mental Health America (MHA) urges that the federal government continue to take a leading role, in partnership with the states, in the development of evidence-based, recovery-oriented mental health and substance abuse services throughout the United States that are comprehensive, community- and strengths-based and consumer- and family-driven.

Position Statement 17: Promotion of Mental Wellness

Policy

Mental health is an essential component of overall health and well-being.1 The very significant body of evidence that has been developed about prevention of mental and substance use conditions should guide policy makers to invest in proven prevention and wellness interventions.  Mental Health America (MHA) needs to reach out to other health and wellness advocates to assure that mental health and substance use conditions are reframed as public health issues, on a par with the other major public health issues confronted

500 Montgomery Street, Suite 820
 Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone (703) 684.7722

Toll Free (800) 969.6642

Fax (703) 684.5968

Web Sponsor

Text Resize

-A +A

The links on this page may contain document data that requires additional software to open: