The Alliance for Health Policy Releases Report on Expert Insights on Mental Health Policy: What’s Changed in the Last Two Years?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

The Alliance for Health Policy Releases Report on Expert Insights on Mental Health Policy: What’s Changed in the Last Two Years?

Group holding three events to further discussion on areas of opportunity

Washington, D.C. — The Alliance for Health Policy recently convened thought leaders from Congress, the Administration, patient advocacy groups, industry, health care providers, and academia for the first of three workshops to advance dialogue on mental health policy education and opportunities. This collaborative effort brings together trusted voices across sectors to outline the priorities for 2025 educational programming, tackling complex issues surrounding mental health and to prepare Congress for upcoming policy challenges in this critical field. Today, the Alliance is releasing its insights report, drawn from interviews with multiple leading voices in mental health, and sharing some key trends. 

These experts examined a range of issues central to mental health policy, including:

• Timing and Sense of Urgency: Despite fluctuations in public focus, bipartisan interest in advancing mental health policy remains strong.
• Some Progress in a Patchwork System: The current mental health landscape is marked by a fragmented funding structure, hindering unified policy implementation and creating a disjointed experience for patients that disincentivizes the right care at the right time.
• Differing Perspective on Parity as a Path Forward: While some advocate for integrating mental health with broader health care through parity, others see alternative models as more effective.
• Looking to Case Studies/Populations with Specific Needs for Learnings: There are some programs that reflect a “bright spot” for progress, with opportunities for lessons learned.

The effort builds on the Alliance’s 2022 Mental Health Signature Series, which identified a foundational framework to address mental health needs in America. The framework emphasized five key areas of strength that would be central in an ideal mental health system: Quality and Measurement, Radical Collaboration, Innovation, Sustainability and Workforce, and Parity/Magnitude. 

The 2024 initiative focuses on developing a core mental health “curriculum” for congressional staff, equipping them to engage effectively with emerging mental health policy, and addressing some of the key issues that surfaced in the insights report.

Mental health has become one of the most urgent health issues facing the United States, with nearly one in five adults—more than 50 million Americans—experiencing mental health conditions each year. The economic impact is also staggering, with an estimated $280 billion in annual health care costs. However, there is hope: most mental health conditions are treatable, and with proper care, people can live fulfilling, productive lives. This urgency drives the Alliance’s focus on equipping policymakers, especially congressional staff, with the resources needed through nonpartisan education and convening that inform more effective nonpartisan solutions.

“Our research shows that while policymakers have made inroads and improvements in mental health policy since 2022, there is still much work to be done to achieve the ‘ideal’ that the Alliance community identified two years ago. Challenges like continuity of care, mental health workforce adequacy, and the need for a system that rewards early and culturally relevant engagement persist,” said Claire Sheahan, President and CEO of the Alliance for Health Policy. “Within this environment, the Alliance has brought our community together to identify some key areas to integrate into our curriculum for educational materials and events on mental health policy for policymakers.” 

This report was released in conjunction with a series of three events in an Alliance “Signature Seminar” on mental health. The first covered identifying learning goals and outcomes and potential content for educational sessions, the second covered the issues of care continuity and potential integration of journey mapping into policy development, and the third will focus on case studies of successful mental health policy interventions and key learnings. At the conclusion of the three events, a second report will be released, providing a useful resource for the health policy community.

Read full report:

About the Alliance for Health Policy

The Alliance for Health Policy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the understanding of health policy issues. Through educational events and resources, the Alliance informs policymakers, the media, and the public about health policy issues and promotes evidence-based solutions.

For press inquiries, please contact:

Carolyn Sobczyk
Communications Consultant
csobczyk@allhealthpolicy.org

For sponsorship inquiries, please contact:

Kelly Appenzeller
Director of Production and Development
kappenzeller@allhealthpolicy.org