NAMI News

Celebrate the Anniversary of Mental Health Reform

12/13/2017

Today is the one-year anniversary of when the 21st Century Cures Act was signed into law. It’s the perfect time to celebrate the power of NAMI’s collective advocacy. Real change happens for our cause when we work together at the local, state and national level.

Here are just a few highlights of changes made since you helped mental health reform become law:

  • Elinore McCance-Katz, M.D., Ph.D. was appointed the first Assistant Secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use. This appointment ensured a committed advocate in an elevated position within the federal government.
  • The U.S. Department of Justice is working to improve police responses to people with mental illness, so more people can access trained police officers during a crisis.
  • The Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) is releasing its report to Congress on Dec. 14, which details recommended actions federal agencies can take to better serve children and adults with serious mental illness. Mary Giliberti, NAMI’s CEO, was appointed as one of only 14 non-federal members of the committee.

We still have work to do to fulfill the promise of mental health reform, and we’re ready for the challenge.

As we look towards 2018, we must remember that when we come together as one voice, we are powerful.

We did it to pass helpful mental health reform. We did it to stop harmful health care reform. We will need it for what comes in 2018. And, we need you. Together, we will make sure that people with mental illness have more coverage and better care when they need it.

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