Legislative Priorities

Founded in 1909, Mental Health America (MHA) – with more than 200 affiliates across the United States – is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans.

Mental health conditions should be treated long before crisis. When we think about cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, we don’t wait years to treat them. We start before Stage 4— we try to prevent illness, address symptoms early, and develop a plan for treatment.

Left untreated, people slowly lose their ability to live the life they and their families imagined – as healthy, successful, and contributing members of their community. They become isolated from the community and often end up homeless, in jails, or in hospitals. The community misses out through lost productivity and relationships.

MHA collaborates with scientists, practitioners, policy experts, advocates, and other community leaders to design policy recommendations that promote:

• Prevention for all;
• Early identification and intervention for those at risk;
• Integrated care and treatment for those who need it; and
• Recovery as the goal.

Changes in policy can better the lives of Americans living with mental illness.  MHA urges you to consider our recommendations and address mental health before Stage 4.

Learn more about some of the mental health legislation in the 115th Congress and where it falls in line with Mental Health America's legislative priorities. 

• In February 2018, MHA sent recommendations to Senate Committee leadership requesting inclusion of three top issues in any legislation passed to address the current opioid epidemic. Policy prioirities that MHA urges Congress to address include rewarding cross-sector integration, employing policy that creates sustainable payment models for peer specialists, and strengthening payment for prevention of chronic disease in Medicaid and Medicare.