The National Association of Counties (NACo) Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing brings together county leaders from across the nation to take action to address the ever-growing mental health crisis from the county government perspective.
Commission Scope
Through the advancement of county policy priorities, showcasing community strategies and elevating county voices, the Commission will:
- Stimulate a national sense of urgency through an intergovernmental partnership framework, for addressing our nation’s crisis with mental health and wellbeing of residents, especially our most vulnerable.
- Elevate the national awareness of the roles, innovations and pain-points facing county governments in addressing this escalating crisis.
- Achieve public policies that support the county role in safeguarding the nation's mental and behavioral wellness, such as the full implementation of Mental Health Parity standards, promoting the equal coverage of mental health care through the modernization of the "institutions for mental disease" (IMD) prohibition, repealing the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy for people detained in jail pre-trial, and building the mental health workforce to ensure that local communities have a sustainable continuum of care.
- Align a cohesive national and intergovernmental strategy to improve and enhance the mental health and wellbeing of all Americans, with a special focus on our most vulnerable populations.
Learn more about the Commission via this link.
Illinois Member
Dr. Kathleen Burke (Will County Health Department)