National Council for Behavioral Health

Despite overwhelming need, nearly 30 million people across the U.S. don’t have access to comprehensive, high-quality, affordable mental health and substance use care when they need it. By promoting mental health, recovery from substance use challenges and equitable access to high-quality care we will ensure that mental wellbeing is a reality for everyone.

The National Council thrives to make mental wellbeing, including recovery from substance use challenges, a reality for everyone.

The National Council is a 501(c)(3) association that advocates for policies that ensure people who have mental health and substance use challenges have access to comprehensive, high quality services. We also offer state-of-the-science education and practice improvement consulting and resources to ensure services are efficient and effective.

Through MHFA, a 4- to 8-hour course that teaches trainees to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and addiction, we will increase mental health literacy and positive help-seeking behavior among people, educate young people and adults on ways to help people in need, and decrease stigma and discrimination. Our training will be delivered through unique modules based on the stakeholder group or setting: Teen, Youth, Workplace, Higher Education, or Adult.

While MHFA delivers training on how to provide initial help to someone experiencing a crisis, it is imperative that those who require professional services have local access. We will increase access to quality, coordinated care by expanding CCBHCs, government-endorsed clinics that provide mental health and addiction care to everyone, regardless of insurance coverage, diagnosis, or ability to pay. Through CCBHCs, millions of young people and their families will have access to the comprehensive care they deserve.

The National Council also delivers training and technical assistance to support the implementation of quality, evidence-based behavioral health care across the country. Training and technical assistance covers topics such as: primary and behavioral health care integration, trauma-informed care, addiction and recovery services, readiness for alternative payment arrangements, among other topics.

For 50 years, the National Council has been at the forefront of ensuring access to community mental health and addiction care. Our 3,000+ member organizations serve 10+ million children, adults, and families in every state in the nation.

For the past 15 years, we have dramatically impacted change at the local level by supporting implementation of evidence-based interventions, guiding system redesign, and creating and expanding a quality public education program, enabling us to improve the lives of millions of young Americans where they live, work, and learn.

We provide sustainable solutions that deliver meaningful and long-term results, such as CCBHCs, a nationally recognized model of care that significantly expands access to community-based services, and MHFA, a training program that has taught almost 2 million Americans how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and addiction.

All our staff have been impacted by mental illness or addiction, either directly through lived experience, or indirectly through someone they care about. These experiences guide and motivate the work we do, regardless of size or scope – from our $40 million program to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations for people with mental illness that has saved New York State almost $190 million, to CONNECTED, our innovative initiative that amplifies the voice of young people as they change the dialogue around mental health in their community.

Our mission – to ensure every American is afforded the opportunity for wellness and recovery – guides our work as we strive to bring mental wellness to current and future generations.

MHFA is at a tipping point, with nearly 2 million individuals trained, 18,000 instructors and a presence in every state.

Dozens of studies have evaluated the efficacy of MHFA training [7] and research papers from around the world have been published in peer-reviewed academic journals. Such work shows that individuals trained in MHFA grow their knowledge of signs, symptoms, and risk factors related to mental illnesses and addictions; can identify professional and self-help resources for individuals in need; have increased confidence in, and are more likely to help, an individual in distress; report a reduction in negative attitudes and perceptions of people with mental illnesses; and display improvements in their own mental health and wellness.

Since 2017, 115 CCBHCs have formed across 21 states through a combination of federal and state initiatives. Our efforts will expand this movement across the country, tailoring each CCBHC to the community they serve while adhering to the core tenants that have made the model so successful.

Early data from the CCBHC program indicates advancements in the quality and reach of community services, as well as cost-savings for states and communities. CCBHCs in Missouri and Oklahoma have significantly reduced incarceration rates, recidivism, and jail days among their patients, while CCBHCs in New York State have seen reductions in emergency room admissions among their patients. In both cases, coordination and expansion of services by CCBHCs has resulted in millions of dollars in cost-savings. Additionally, according to a 2018 survey, since becoming a CCBHC, 100% of clinics have challenged current norms and integrated mental health, addiction, and primary care; 100% have launched or expanded addiction services; 50% have implemented new care delivery partnerships with schools and criminal justice agencies; 68% have experienced decreased patient wait times to see a health professional; and 25% have increased their patient caseloads, enabling them to treat more people and save more lives.