Category: Legislative Updates

Mental Health America (MHA )advocates for integrated mental health and substance care in schools and primary care, which reduce disparities in access to care. MHA also supports expanding access to a diverse workforce and to providers that are more likely to reflect their communities and address disparities and social drivers, such as doulas, peer support…

Because insurance coverage is critical to accessing mental health and substance use services, Mental Health America (MHA) advocates for expansive coverage policies, especially during this time of Medicaid unwinding in the states. MHA continues its longstanding commitment to achieving parity in coverage of mental health and substance use services and to improving the accuracy of…

Mental Health America (MHA) focuses on prevention and early intervention, working to ensure that funding is allocated upstream. MHA advocates for a public health approach to mental health. MHA is a leader in promoting universal approaches to screening and mental health literacy education. We also recognize the importance of social drivers of mental health and…

MHA works to ensure that the voices of lived experience, especially those of young people, are leading policy development and implementation. MHA also advocates for quality measurement systems to incorporate positive patient experience as an outcome measure. MHA is a leader in expanding coverage and increasing reimbursement of peer support services across payers and ensuring…

Parental Alienation is in the DSM-5-TR, But Not the Actual Words: APA Experts Agree William Bernet, M.D., and Amy J. L. Baker, Ph.D. We have said for years that the concept of parental alienation is in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), even if the actual words have not been included. New information is…

January 24, 2024 The 2024 legislative session is in full swing in 40 states, so it’s not surprising that several of them have already introduced bills to address parental rights. In this email, I will focus on a few of these that already demand our attention. Good Indiana Bill Faces Opposition In Indiana, SB 46 would add a…

February 7, 2024 Photo: Parental Rights Foundation President Michael Ramey at the Virginia State Capitol on on January 30, 2024.  Two weeks ago, I alerted you to a bill in Virginia that would rob parents of important due process protections and let the Department of Social Services (DSS) coerce innocent parents into signing their children into…