Promising Solutions to our Nation’s Behavioral Health Crisis

Executive Summary

The country is facing a behavioral health crisis. Even with the increases in health care coverage that have come with the Affordable Care Act, more than 56% of Americans do not receive treatment for their mental illness. The systems in place to deal with behavioral health challenges are often under-resourced and ill- equipped; jails, emergency rooms, and homeless shelters across the country are filled with individuals who have unmet behavioral and mental health needs. Because behavioral health is often intertwined with other challenges, including homelessness, substance use disorders, and incarceration, it is a particularly difficult problem to tackle.

Governments are seeking ways to address the complex challenges associated with behavioral health in order to provide individuals access to treatment, healthcare, and supportive housing. This policy brief provides recommendations to help governments address urgent behavioral health needs, while simultaneously shifting resources from crisis management to prevention.

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