Strategy to Address the National Mental Crisis Announced at the State of the Union
In his first State of the Union address on March 1, 2022, President Biden announced a national mental health strategy to strengthen system capacity, connect more Americans to care, and create a continuum of support –transforming our health and social services infrastructure to address mental health holistically and equitably.
The topline mental health strategies follow:
Strengthen System Capacity
- Invest in proven programs that bring providers into behavioral health.
- Pilot new approaches to train a diverse group of paraprofessionals.
- Build a national certification program for peer specialists.
- Promote the mental well-being of our frontline health workforce.
- Launch the “988” crisis response line and strengthen community-based crisis response.
- Expand the availability of evidence-based community mental health services.
- Invest in research on new practice models.
Connect Americans to Care
- Expand and strengthen parity.
- Integrate mental health and substance use treatment into primary care settings.
- Improve veterans’ access to same-day mental health care.
- Expand access to tele- and virtual mental health care options.
- Expand access to mental health support in schools and colleges and universities.
- Embed and co-locate mental health and substance use providers into community-based settings.
- Increase behavioral health navigation resources.
Support Americans by Creating Healthy Environments
- Strengthen children’s privacy and ban targeted advertising for children online.
- Institute stronger online protections for young people, including prioritizing safety by design standards and practices for online platforms, products, and services.
- Stop discriminatory algorithmic decision-making that limits opportunities for young Americans.
- Invest in research on social media’s mental harms.
- Expand early childhood and school-based intervention services and supports.
- Set students up for success.
- Increase mental health resources for justice-involved populations.
- Train social and human services professionals in basic mental health skills.
Read details of the new national mental health strategy in FACT SHEET: President Biden to Announce Strategy to Address Our National Mental Health Crisis, As Part of Unity Agenda in his First State of the Union.
