Counties Recognize Mental Health Awareness Month

WASHINGTON – The National Association of Counties (NACo) again this year will mark Mental Health Awareness Month throughout the month of May with counties advocating for solutions that support the wellbeing of residents and address the nation’s mental health crisis.  

“Mental health is not a background issue – it is a frontline crisis that counties are confronting every day. This month, we are turning awareness into action, urging Congress and federal partners to deliver the policy reforms and resources that communities need and deserve,” said NACo President J.D. Clark.  

Counties are advocating for policy objectives, including: 

• Urging Congress to pass the Michelle Alyssa Go Act, bipartisan legislation that would make reforms to the Institutes of Mental Disease exclusionary policy by expanding the number of Medicaid-eligible inpatient psychiatric beds for individuals seeking treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. The bill also requires facilities receiving federal Medicaid funding to meet nationally recognized, evidence-based standards for behavioral health treatment programs.
   
• Amending the Medicaid Inmate Exclusionary Policy (MIEP) to provide access to federal health benefits for those awaiting trial and verdict decisions.
   
• Maintaining funding for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services (SUBG) and Community Mental Health Services (MHBG) block grants administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 
   
• Ensuring all insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare, provide at least equal coverage for mental health conditions and substance use disorders as for health conditions in full compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. 

“Counties are at the center of America's behavioral health system, and we need effective federal, state and community partnerships,” said Clark. “Strengthening access to treatment, closing gaps in Medicaid coverage and building real intergovernmental collaboration are not optional - these are all essential for improving access to care and improved outcomes for our residents.”

Counties annually invest over $130 billion in community health systems, including critical behavioral health services. Counties also help finance Medicaid, the largest funding source for mental and behavioral health services.  

Throughout May, counties will engage in a range of activities in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, including: 

• Issuing proclamations observing Mental Health Awareness Month
• Posting messages on social media and in other public forums raising awareness of the county role in behavioral health systems
• Hosting members of Congress and other state and federal policymakers at mental health facilities and other relevant sites
• Convening stakeholders and decisionmakers to address local mental and behavioral health challenges, and
• Contacting members of Congress and local media to advocate for NACo’s policy priorities, particularly the Michelle Alyssa Go Act. 

For more information about NACo’s call to action for Mental Health Awareness Month, click here.