CHIP Founding Executive Director Kat Rosqueta joined U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, U.S. Rep. David Trone, former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, former U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith and more fellow policymakers, health care professionals, and advocates February 10 to shine a spotlight on mental health and addiction in the Russell Senate Office Building’s Kennedy Caucus Room in Washington, DC.
Hosted by The Kennedy Forum, Agenda for Change: Unite. Connect. Act. explored the current state of mental health and addiction in the United States and helped introduced CHIP’s new guide, Health in Mind: A Philanthropic Guide for Mental Health and Addiction, to a standing-room only crowd. The event was also streamed live (watch replay on YouTube).
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), one in five U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2018, and one in 14 people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder that same year. Overdose death rates, which fell modestly in 2018, continue to outnumber deaths from motor vehicle accidents and are still rising for fentanyl, cocaine, and psychostimulants like methamphetamine.
“As a nation, there are tangible steps we can take right now to save more lives,” said Rep. Kennedy, Mental Health for US co-chair and founder of The Kennedy Forum. “This is about equality for those with mental health and addiction challenges. We must act now to prioritize measures and resources that truly address these systemic problems and create meaningful, lasting change.”
Joe Pyle, MA, president of The Scattergood Foundation, on of the Health in Mind’s sponsors, moderated a panel discussion profiling powerful new tools to drive social change, including Health in Mind. The guide outlines philanthropic recommendations for aligning financial investments with the needs of those with mental health and addiction challenges.
“Mental health conditions and substance use disorders (SUDs) affect thousands of individuals and families nationwide and are tightly linked to other social impact areas, including homelessness, incarceration, education, and foster care. In our latest guide, ‘Health in Mind,’ we show how donors can help,” said Katherina Rosqueta, founding executive director of CHIP at Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice. “There are a range of philanthropic approaches that can enable these individuals, their families, and communities to thrive.”
The panel also explored Healing the Nation, a new report from Well Being Trust that outlines a framework for federal policymakers and pinpoints specific recommendations to support prevention, treatment, and recovery – an update to The Kennedy Forum’s 2017 policy guide for the 115th Congress.
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– Behavioral Health Executive, Feb. 10, 2020