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Mental Health

Message from HHS:

In his State of the Union address, the President outlined a unity agenda consisting of policy where there has historically been support from both Republicans and Democrats, and called on Congress to send bills to his desk to deliver progress for the American people. As part of the unity agenda, he announced a strategy to address our national mental health crisis. Addressing this crisis is a priority for the Administration, and a personal commitment of the President. That’s why he has laid out a comprehensive whole-of-government strategy to build system capacity, connect more people to care, and provide support to Americans, especially kids, by fostering healthy environments in real world and online.

To further discuss the Strategy to Address our National Mental Health Crisis, the HHS Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs invites you to join us Wednesday, March 2 at 3:30 PM ET for a Stakeholder Briefing.

The Stakeholder Briefing will include remarks from:

  • Andrea Palm, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
  • Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA, US Surgeon General
  • Rebecca Haffajee, JD, PhD, MPH, Acting Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)
  • Rachel Pryor, JD, MSW, Counselor to the Secretary of HHS
  • Marvin Figueroa, Director of the HHS Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs

Please note that each individual attendee must register in order to access the meeting. Please feel free to send this invitation to your members and network. The event is only for stakeholders and is not open to the press. Please note, this briefing will be recorded.

If there are any accommodations that would make this meeting accessible to you, please reach out to us.

Marvin Figueroa, Director
Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs
US Department of Health and Human Services
Washington, DC

The Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) and the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) are pleased to announce that the latest edition of the Positive Approaches Journal is now available!

All humans engage in their world in ways that work for them. Yet individuals with complex needs may do that in ways that challenge their supporters. Applying Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS) may provide the key to deciphering and assisting the complex messages being sent by the individual. This issue of Positive Approaches Journal examines the misconceptions associated with behavioral supports, how understanding behavioral supports and applying them in a family setting can improve the outcomes for children, and how supporters can think out of the box and work together to utilize a behavioral support approach to treatment. By redefining how we approach behavioral support, we are able to reach a more thorough understanding of people across the lifespan.

This issue of Positive Approaches Journal is in digital form, available for viewing online or for downloading.