Mental Health America

Mental Health America advances the mental health and well-being of all people living in the U.S. through public education, research, advocacy and public policy, and direct service.

Mental Health America is the nation’s leading national nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and illness prevention. Our work is informed, designed, and led by the lived experience of those most affected.

Operating nationally and in communities across the country, Mental Health America advocates for closing the mental health equity gap while increasing nationwide awareness and understanding through public education, direct services, tools, and research. Our annual State of Mental Health in America report is among the most widely respected health reports in the nation.

The New Future Of Whole Person Health, Healing, And Flourishing
At Mental Health America, we’re not just dreaming of a better future—we’re shaping it.

MHA aims to break free of existing limitations in our thinking and approach. We intend to think beyond short-term constraints, misaligned incentives, and policy-making cycles—and ask ourselves how we would design a person-centered system with a focus on all aspects of health and healing.

Through our research, public education, advocacy and public policy, and direct service, MHA is charting a new course toward whole-person health and well-being that will guide our efforts in the next several years and beyond.

We are a nation in crisis. Indicators of our mental ill-health are hitting record highs and trending in the wrong direction. Disruption and division is persistent – technology and social media, inequitable resource distribution, the epidemic of loneliness. We are in despair and in need of hope. We are in need of a new imagination for the future of our well-being.

Now is our moment. Now is the time to work with determination, courage, and hope for the mental health of the future.

In developing our vision for the future, MHA aims to break free of existing limitations in our thinking and approach. We intend to think beyond short-term constraints, misaligned incentives, and policymaking cycles—and ask ourselves how we would design a person-centered system with a focus on all aspects of health and healing.

We are asking ourselves: how can we paint a promising—and realistic—picture of hope for a hurting country?

We are committed to reforming or relinquishing what hasn’t worked in the past, doubling down on what has, and embracing the new frontiers of therapeutic practice which are showing promise. We must think upstream to prevent distress at the same time as we develop a plan which offers real help to all in need of help, healing, and renewal. It’s time to think beyond human pathology and toward human potential.

Building on the pioneering legacy established at our founding in 1909, Mental Health America is committed to leading the charge for a new future of hope in the 21st century.

Harnessing Technological Transformation Constructively And Equitably
Key issues: AI, social media, mental health and behavioral health tech, automation, digital and tech ethics, rights, and protections, community participation in design

MHA is committed to harnessing technology, including AI, social media, digital therapeutics, and other emerging technologies, in a way that increases access to support, enhances well-being, and minimizes risk and harm. This includes the use of technology to improve clinical and supportive services, expand access through tele-health, enhance decision-making in practice and policy, and democratize access to reliable mental health information and effective interventions. It also requires thoughtful policy, ethical guidelines, and oversight to ensure all resources focusing on and impacting mental health prioritize equity, person-centered outcomes, and individual liberties.

We believe digital tools should improve individual and societal well-being, positively influencing work, education, and other systems, and fostering increased and healthy community and personal connections. It’s essential that these technologies are not developed in isolation but are shaped by the insights and contributions of community members and those with lived experience, ensuring they serve to uplift and protect, aligning with our mission to improve mental health for all.

Exploring The Future Of Well-Being And Connection
Key issues: Spirituality, psychedelics, somatic approaches, mind-body-spirit integration, holistic health, nature and climate, trauma and healing

Exploring the future of well-being and connection, with respect and recognition for the communities that have long nurtured this knowledge, MHA leads in pioneering work and research into practices that cultivate a comprehensive understanding of well-being and recovery.

Integral to this exploration is the recognition of spiritual health as a vital component of overall well-being. Through our focus on spirituality, we are embracing an expanded view of the human experience – going beyond thought, emotion, and behavior in our theory of mind to be inclusive of our need and drive for connection, belonging, purpose, hope, and meaning.

Additionally, we aim to lift up practices from complementary, somatic, integrative, and traditional healing traditions. Some of these approaches are being newly innovated on the frontiers of therapeutic practice, and some derive from longstanding wisdom traditions.

Supporting Equity And Equipping Communities To Lead
Key issues: Peer support, community-initiated care and leadership, service, equity and inclusion, community and lived experience leadership

MHA is building on the framework to lead innovative work and research into practices that elevate well-being and promote healing and recovery at the community level.

Our recently launched Equity Impact Zones will enable access to catalytic resources for the most marginalized communities – on the premise that the community knows best what it is experiencing and what it needs to close the social health gaps driving disparity and poor outcomes. Ultimately, we aim for the model itself to create an emerging evidence base for harnessing the wisdom and capacity of communities and community-led solutions to solve for mental health equity gaps.

MHA is reshaping mental health support by advocating for an expanded array of care providers – including peer supporters, holistic healers, and community caregivers – while ensuring decision-makers and clinical providers recognize the value and need for comprehensive support resources.

With growing disparities in mental health distress and resources, particularly among youth and rural, LGBTQ+, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, this work has become even more critical. Whether it is generational or collective trauma, lack of investment, or historical inequities, our commitment is to ensure that each person and community is equipped with the resources to support their well-being in sustainable, innovative ways.

Get Information
https://mhanational.org/get-information
For people wanting information about mental health facts and conditions, policy measures, and more, our research and reports, webinars, podcast, blog, and screening tools provide guiding resources and tools to help understand and improve your mental health.

Community Education And Engagement

Mental Health Month
Mental Health America and our affiliates established May as Mental Health Month in 1949. Since then, the month-long observation has become a core initiative in the promotion of mental health, well-being, and illness prevention to millions of people nationwide. We welcome other organizations to join us in spreading the word that mental health is something everyone should care about by using the Mental Health Month toolkit materials and conducting awareness activities.

BIPOC Mental Health Month
Within BIPOC communities, mental health conditions are often compounded by other social inequities. This creates a unique and extensive list of challenges that need to be addressed in a unique and comprehensive way. To promote BIPOC Mental Health Month each July, Mental Health America provides tools and resources to communities nationwide that support awareness and understanding of mental health in BIPOC communities.

Mental Health America Conference
Each year, the Mental Health America Conference brings together affiliates, consumers, providers, family members, and advocates from across the country to talk about important and emerging mental health issues. The 2023 Mental Health America Conference will be taking place in Washington, DC and online from June 6-10, 2023.

Advocacy And Public Policy

Federal Policy
Since 1909, Mental Health America has advocated for legislation that supports people with mental health conditions and their families. We focus on prevention, early identification and intervention, access to integrated care, and insurance parity for people with mental health conditions. We’ll always prioritize individuals over interest groups.

Our expert staff and Public Policy Committee members produce well-researched policy statements on a wide range of issues – from civil liberties to children’s mental health – for public use. We work with policymakers to advance federal legislation, regulations, and agency activities that promote these priorities and position statements.

State Policy
Mental Health America is the national headquarters for a network of more than 200 affiliates around the country. Our affiliates work with state and local policymakers to develop and pass laws, regulations, and policies that promote mental health. Mental Health America and our affiliates meet through the Regional Policy Council to exchange best practices for regional, state, and local policy efforts and agency activities. Our state advocacy priorities include Medicaid expansion, integrating primary and mental health care services, and building peer supports, including recovery-oriented curricula. A full list of our priorities can be found in the Policy and Advocacy section of our website.

Regional Policy Council
The Regional Policy Council (RPC) has connected national and state policy and advocacy on mental health since its inception in 2009. In 2017, Mental Health America utilized the work of the RPC to build connections with leading state health policymaker organizations, including National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), National Governors Association (NGA), American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and the Council of State Governments (CSG). RPC meetings are now held four times a year and cover areas of interest to both state policy leaders and state-level advocates.

Consumer Advocacy
Mental Health America provides technical assistance to other community organizations, specifically consumer groups. Our staff members advise these organizations on best practices, including how to form a nonprofit board of directors. Additionally, Mental Health America regularly releases white papers to help consumer advocates in their work.

Contact Mental Health America:

Mental Health America
500 Montgomery Street,
Suite 820
Alexandria, VA. 22314

Phone (703) 684.7722
Toll Free (800) 969.6642
Fax (703) 684.5968