NAMI’s 2021 Federal Agenda
NAMI’s 2021 Federal Agenda
As the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the
millions of people affected by mental health conditions, NAMI fights for policy change that translates our
mission into reality, including promoting early intervention, improving access to quality mental health care
and diverting from criminal justice involvement.
COVID-19 is an unprecedented crisis that affects not only our physical health and daily lives, but also our mental health. We urge Congress and the Biden Administration to continue to address the significant mental health effects of the pandemic, including for children and youth, by significantly increasing support for mental health and substance use services.
In addition to addressing the mental health impact of the pandemic, our nation’s leaders have the opportunity to improve the infrastructure for mental health care. NAMI’s federal priorities in 2021 include:
COVID-19 is an unprecedented crisis that affects not only our physical health and daily lives, but also our mental health. We urge Congress and the Biden Administration to continue to address the significant mental health effects of the pandemic, including for children and youth, by significantly increasing support for mental health and substance use services.
In addition to addressing the mental health impact of the pandemic, our nation’s leaders have the opportunity to improve the infrastructure for mental health care. NAMI’s federal priorities in 2021 include:
- Advance Mental Health Research. We need increased funding for research to better understand the brain and to discover more precise
diagnostics and innovative treatment options for mental health conditions. While many of the 1 in 5
people with a mental health condition respond to treatment, mental illness is still a leading cause of
disability in this country. There is an urgent need for better diagnostics, medications and new
therapeutic interventions to treat mental health conditions and reduce mental health disparities. Read more about NAMI's specific asks.
- Improve Health Coverage. Currently, only half of people with a mental health condition receive treatment. To increase access to care, people need comprehensive coverage that is affordable and includes parity coverage of mental health so they can get appropriate care as early as possible. This is especially critical for communities of color who remain disproportionately uninsured. Read more about NAMI's specific asks.
- Promote Early Intervention. Half of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% begins by age 24. Early intervention is essential because the earlier people get help, the better the outcomes. It is critical to promote greater awareness and early identification of mental health conditions in youth and young adults. Read more about NAMI's specific asks.
- Expand 988 Crisis Response Systems. When someone experiences a mental health crisis, they are often more likely to interact with a law enforcement officer than a medical professional. Crisis services can de-escalate mental health crises, connect people to care, and reduce emergency room admissions and law enforcement involvement. We deserve a crisis system that provides a mental health response to mental health crises — and reduces trauma and tragedies, especially for communities of color. Read more about NAMI's specific asks.
- Divert from Justice Involvement. When people with a mental illness don’t get the mental health care they need, their symptoms can worsen – leading to interaction with law enforcement. People with mental illness are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and are booked into jails more than 2 million times each year. We need more resources to support successful diversion programs that assist people in getting help, not handcuffs. Read more about NAMI's specific asks.
- Promote Peer and Family Supports. People with mental health conditions and families face unique stressors and are frequently marginalized in health systems. Peer and family supports offer a powerful lifeline to help individuals and families understand and manage symptoms, navigate the mental health system, and feel supported by a community that cares, especially when peer and family supports reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. Read more about NAMI's specific asks.
- Strengthen Community Mental Health. Community mental health services and supports are critical to helping individuals and families get the help they need and stay on a path of recovery. As rates of people experiencing new symptoms or a worsening of symptoms continue to rise, state and local governments need additional resources to provide needed mental health treatment and support. Read more about NAMI's specific asks.
- Provide Safe and Affordable Housing. A safe place to live is essential to recovery, yet many people with serious mental illness lack affordable and appropriate housing. 1 in 20 people in the U.S. have a serious mental illness, on average, yet 1 in 5 people who are homeless live with a serious mental illness. Housing insecurity also disproportionately affects people of color. We need additional resources to ensure housing stability, which reduce hospitalizations and criminal justice system involvement and help individuals focus on their health and well-being. Read more about NAMI's specific asks.
- Integrate Mental and Physical Health Care. Millions of people in the U.S. have both a physical and a mental health or substance use condition, yet health care systems fail to adequately integrate treatment for physical health, substance use and mental health conditions. This fragmentation leads to poor health outcomes – people with serious mental illness die years earlier than their peers. We need better integration to reduce health disparities for people with mental illness. Read more about NAMI's specific asks.
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