ACA Applauds Strategy for National Mental Health

The American Counseling Association (ACA) commends the Biden Administration for raising awareness of and making commitments to remedy the challenges to mental health access and equity through policies and resources. The Strategy to Address Our Mental Health Crisis outlines critical elements of addressing our nation’s mental health, and professional counselors stand ready to support and realize this plan.

“Mental health is human health. It is imperative we address the inequities in historically excluded and underserved communities. Suicide in the Black community is at an all-time high, our youth are grappling with the significant impacts from both social media and the pandemic, and we simply do not have enough mental health providers to meet these growing needs,” said ACA President S. Kent Butler, Ph.D. “We are heartened to see embedding mental health programs in schools, the justice system and serving our veterans as part of the administration’s approach.”

ACA applauds the plan’s details, including addressing access and equity and continuation of care, increasing behavioral health providers, prioritizing frontline health workers, launching 988 crisis response lines, and expanding community mental health services.

The President’s plan includes strengthening and expanding parity to promote a patient-centered, whole-person care approach. Increased training and resources of primary care physicians to better manage, treat and provide for behavioral health conditions, would allow for integrating mental health and substance use treatment into primary care. Further, the coverage of mental health services would be equal to the coverage of physical health care through the expansion of network providers.

The American Counseling Association is the largest association exclusively dedicated to the growth and advancement of the counseling profession across all practice settings. Founded in 1952, we provide counselors with a professional home where they can build community, deepen knowledge and develop their commitment to enriching lives and contributing to societal well-being. Representing more than 57,000 professional counselors nationwide and abroad, ACA offers continuing education, professional resources and advocacy to ensure ethical and inclusive counseling services for every individual who needs them.