ACA Attends the Inaugural HHS 'Music is Medicine' Event

This week, the ACA Government Affairs and Public Policy team attended the inaugural Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 'Music is Medicine' event.  This event highlights how music can impact mental health and foster unity within communities. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra gave remarks and discussed the work the Administration has done to understand the healing power of music and the role of music on wellness.

Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, National Endowment for the Arts Chair, spoke at this event, and stressed the positive effects of music on mental health in clinical practices, how music drives cultural unity, and advances health equity.

Dr. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at SAMHSA, emphasized how music helps create community to promote mental wellbeing. Further, Dr. Dephin-Rittmon pointed out how SAMHSA grant program funding has been awarded to native communities using music in native languages to reclaim culture and community. 

Performance at this event included:

• United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Music Ensemble 
• EMS Heatstroke Band
• Vida Senior Centers Golden Years Choir
• Students at Elsie Whitlow Stokes School - Steel Drum

For more information or any questions regarding this event, please contact the ACA Government Affairs team at advocacy@counseling.org.