Policy priorities to improve mental health unveiled in NACo commission final report

Key Takeaways

The NACo Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing outlined its policy priorities to improve mental health in its final report unveiled Saturday, July 13 at the Annual Conference.

The 39-page report, titled “From Crisis to Solutions: Policy Catalysts for Improved Outcomes,” explores policy priorities including:

1. Amending exclusionary policies under Medicaid
2. Enhancing local crisis response systems
3. Strengthening the mental health workforce
4. Enforcing mental health parity 

Members of the commission, who met and examined the issue over the past 18 months, took to the stage at the Opening General Session, flanking the co-chairs who addressed NACo members at the Tampa Convention Center.

Opening General Session

July 13

Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission final report

“The commission, with the support of all of you, has made considerable progress in collaboration with federal, state and community leaders achieving key reforms that will ensure health care benefits for justice-involved youth, improve access to crisis services and align mental health coverage with physical health,” said Los Angeles County, Calif. Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who co-chaired the group. 

“We have advanced legislation that would address mental health professional shortages and healthcare disparities through various means such as workforce development, telehealth and community health centers,” she said.

King County, Wash. Executive Dow Constantine, the commission co-chair, also weighed in. 

“Commissioner Barger and the commission and I are honored and thrilled to be able to present the commission’s achievements and milestones in this, our final report,” he said. “This report emphasizes crucial data, effective strategies and recommendations for government at all levels.”

“It also encourages federal policymakers, local leaders and stakeholders to back and execute policy reforms that boost local capabilities to tackle this crisis,” Constantine said. 

“These reforms include eliminating federal restrictions on Medicaid benefits for incarcerated individuals; streamlining resources to establish crisis call centers and improve crisis response infrastructure; encouraging and enforcing parity policies across all insurers and all providers.”

Other policy reforms suggested in the report, he said, include “establishing career paths for behavioral health professions, particularly in underserved areas and augmenting funding for improvement of an ample and representative workforce.”

“It takes people to treat people,” he noted.

“We’ve made substantial progress in promoting our priorities for mental health service and policy reform, but there is a lot more to accomplish,” he said.

“As the formal work of this commission closes, we implore all county leaders to leverage this report, leverage the work we’ve been doing, and take the lead in tackling mental health issues in every community.”