County Leadership in Mental Health: How Counties are Leading the Way in Crisis System Transformation
Author
Blaire Bryant
Jonah Cunningham
Upcoming Events
Related News
America’s 3,069 counties are integral to the local behavioral health system of care, including crisis care. Each year counties invest billions in the infrastructure in community health, hospitals, and social services, as well as $107 billion in justice and public safety systems.
Since its launch, 988 has received 9.6 million calls, texts, and chats. Demand could increase significantly given that a poll in October 2023 found that only 22 percent of respondents were familiar with 988 and 29 percent had never heard of it. Counties are working to develop and support new models of servicing individuals in crisis that are tailored to fit the unique needs of their community. As exemplified by Los Angeles County, Calif., King County, Wash., and Monroe County, N.Y., innovation is occurring at the county level. The need for long term support, collaboration and shared learnings are critical as these systems mature.
Resource
County Leadership in Mental Health: How Counties Are Leading the Way to Address Workforce Challenges
Related News
U.S. House reintroduces legislation to address the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy with NACo support
Two bipartisan bills aimed at addressing the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP) were recently reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
U.S. House of Representatives re-establishes Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus with NACo support
On May 7, members of the U.S. House of Representatives appointed new leadership to the Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus, reaffirming their commitment to addressing the nation’s mental health crisis through cross-party collaboration.
House passes SUPPORT Act reauthorization
On June 4, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 2483) by a strong bipartisan vote of 366–57. The bill, which reauthorizes billions of dollars for critical programs that target overdose prevention, now heads to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, where a version of the bill was overwhelmingly advanced with bipartisan support in the 118th Congress.